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After being snubbed for the World Cup by Didier Deschamps, Hatem Ben Arfa seemingly vactioned a bit too much this summer. Sporting a quite visible and somewhat disconcerting waistline, Ben Arfa turned up for pre-season training with the Magpies but was immediately reprimanded by manager Alan Pardew, to the tune of £1,600 for his lack of conditioning.
A couple years back, Ben Arfa was a fan favorite but now is down the pecking order. The arrivals of Siem De Jong and Remy Cabella haven’t done Ben Arfa any favors and it seems he will be shown the door this summer. Pardew has made it clear that Ben Arfa is now unwanted and is open to offers fom other clubs but no firm offers have emerged.
The former Marseille midfielder turned up for training 1.5 kgs above the club’s allowed weight limit, but he insisted it was extra muscle mass rather than fat. At the age of 27, Ben Arfa still has more than 5 years of football left in him and a early departure from Newcastle, would a shame and a waste of talent.
