3 massive January deals Southampton missed out on

Hatem Ben Arfa

Because of his recent record in English football with Newcastle and Hull, missing out on Hatem Ben Arfa in January isn’t likely to disappoint many Southampton fans.

Nonetheless, the Frenchman’s time under Puel at Nice suggests that the Saints boss knows how to get the best out of him, and his best can be of a supremely high standard.

The 29-year-old moved to the French club in 2015 after an unsuccessful spell in England, and scored 18 goals in just 37 appearances in his one and only season with the Ligue 1 side, helping them to a fourth place finish in the French top-flight.

He was then snapped up by champions Paris Saint-Germain, but it hasn’t worked out for Ben Arfa in the French capital, as he has started just four league games this season, and just one in the Champions League.

Thus, speculation was building about his future, and the Saints were reportedly keeping tabs on his situation based on Puel’s previous working relationship with Ben Arfa.

However, it was a deal that didn’t take place in January, yet you sense that if Ben Arfa cannot break into the PSG team between now and May, he may consider a move in the summer.