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Hatem Ben Arfa

He may not have the greatest reputation in English football, but Puel seems to know how to get the best out of former Newcastle and Hull midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa.

The French international played under the Saints boss at Nice last season, and managed 17 goals in 34 Ligue 1 games for the club, helping them to a fourth place finish in the French top-flight.

Both men went their separate ways in the summer, with Puel moving to Southampton and Ben Arfa to Paris Saint-Germain, but the latter has struggled to have an impact in the French capital, scoring just once so far this season.

Although the Saints’ interest seems to have cooled in recent weeks, they were linked with the 29-year-old back in September, and Puel may look to bring him in and get him back firing again like he was at Nice.