Hatem Ben Arfa exclusive: I am ready for a big European team

Ben Arfa’s renaissance at the French club after difficult spells with Newcastle United and Hull City has seen a sharp rise in the stock of the former Lyon man.

The 29-year-old, who is a free agent come the season’s end, has recently been linked with a sensational move to Barcelona.

However, speaking to Eurosport, the France international neither confirmed nor denied any contact with the Catalan club but did admit he felt ready to play for a big European side.

"I feel totally ready to play for a big European team. I reached many levels, and today I'm ready for any challenge, big or not," said the Nice forward.

"There is a lot of talk about Barcelona. Sometimes it's Barcelona, another day it's another team. It's always like this.

“For the moment, I'm focused on the end of my season. We will see after."

It is a near-certainty that Ben Arfa will leave Nice this summer and he is said to have the blessing of Nice president Jean Pierre Rivere.

The forward has scored 17 goals in addition to five assists for Nice, who sit fourth in the league with one game of the season left to play.

It is a remarkable turnaround for Ben Arfa, whose career looked in jeopardy after a lack of form and an administrative error meant that he was had to sit out much of the 2014-15 season.

Ben Arfa represented Newcastle in a reserve match in August 2014 before moving to Hull on loan. However, after the loan switch turned sour, he returned to Newcastle and had his contract annulled in January 2015.

Nice stepped in to sign him but as he had already played for two clubs he had to sit out the rest of the season. Nice backed their man and waited to sign him over the summer and have reaped some serious dividends.

Reliable French daily L'Équipe reported earlier this week that Ben Arfa was set for Barcelona but there have been contradictory reports since. Some outlets have claimed that the 29-year-old had visited Barcelona to have a tour of the facilities while others suggested that the Catalans had cooled on the idea.

Regardless of whether Ben Arfa moves to Barcelona, he has put himself in the conversation. His performances this season have been exceptional and his talents are deserving of Champions League football.

Furthermore, for a player of his calibre to be available on a free makes it a pretty risk-free signing for many of Europe’s elite clubs. Ben Arfa will almost certainly be dining at Europe’s top table come the start of next season and rightly so.