TRANSFER TRACKER: Rumor
It is clear Hatem Ben Arfa will be leaving Paris Saint-Germain when his contract expires at the end of the season — the 31-year-old midfielder announced as much on his Instagram account.
But will the French international be Major League Soccer-bound this summer?
The doors at the Montreal Impact are open, according to first-year coach Remi Garde.
“We know each other very well,” Garde said in a media scrum following training. “If Hatem is coming to MLS, he is welcome here.”
Ben Arfa crossed paths when both were at Lyon, with the midfielder rising up the youth ranks into a young professional and Garde serving as an assistant coach.
The 31-year-old spent four years at Newcastle United before making a move to Nice where he had 17 goal in 34 appearances. That prompted a move to PSG, where Ben Arfa has struggled. His last appearance came in a 2-1 loss at FC Lorient on March 12, 2017 where he came on as a substitute for the final two minutes.
Ben Arfa has reportedly had dustups with PSG manager Unai Emery and previously angered president Al Khelaifi. According to France Football, Ben Arfa plans on celebrating his anniversary of his last appearance by bringing pizza into the dressing room to share with his teammates.
Ben Arfa has been linked with a return to the Premier League where Leicester City is reportedly interested.
