Hatem Ben Arfa joins Bordeaux!

The Girondins de Bordeaux are thrilled to announce the arrival of Hatem Ben Arfa. The attacking midfielder has passed his medical and signed a contract with the club. Ben Arfa needs no introduction to football fans. Born in March 1987 in Clamart, he has won an impressive haul of silverware throughout his club career. After starting out with local clubs in the Paris region, he was accepted to the national footballing institute at Clairefontaine. He then moved on to the Lyon youth academy at the age of 15, rising through the ranks while also picking up his first international caps at youth level. Hatem made his Ligue 1 debut on 6th August 2004. Over the next four seasons he went from strength to strength, becoming a key figure in that multi-title-winning Lyon side. He won the French league four years on the trot (2005, 2006, 2007 et 2008), while also winning three Trophées des Champions (2005, 2006, 2007). Ben Arfa subsequently moved to Olympique de Marseille, spending two seasons down south and winning more trophies before deciding the time was right to try his luck overseas.  

His next destination was Newcastle United, his first taste of the Premier League. He spent four years in the north-east of England, leaving a lasting impression. A less successful spell with Hull City followed, and Hatem decided to return to France to relaunch his career. A wise move.  With new club Nice, he promptly delivered the best season of his career. In 2015-2016 he scored 17 goals and provided 6 assists. These performances saw him named in the Ligue 1 team of the year. The next few seasons saw Hatem enjoy spells with Paris SG and Rennes. His talent and hard work helped Rennes to victory over PSG in the Coupe de France final in 2019. He moved to Spanish club Valladolid this January, making 5 appearances.  

Creative, confrontational, instinctive and explosive, Hatem Ben Arfa is a preternaturally talented footballer. The kind of player who can single-handedly change the course of a game, while also bringing the best out of his teammates. Now aged 33, he is also an experienced professional with over 400 elite-level appearances to his name including 210 games in L1, 49 in Europe and 15 for France. The club is delighted to welcome Hatem Ben Arfa to Gironde. We wish him all the very best for his time here, both on the pitch and off.  Bienvenue Hatem !