Future Prospect: Hatem Ben Arfa

By: Inara | May 14th, 2007

Instead of talking about the latest transfer gossip or how I feel about Houllier/Govou, I thought I’d take the time to introduce to you one of my favorite players: Hatem Ben Arfa.

If you’re even slightly Ligue 1 literate, chances are that you’ve heard of him. He’s one of the child prodigies currently playing for Lyon, and along with Karim Benzema and Marseille’s Samir Nasri, is the future of French football. He’s a U-17 European champion, three time French champion, and has tons of experience in the Champions League.

Ben Arfa (in my opinion) is probably the best player in Ligue 1 in terms of pure talent. Not only does he have speed, but he can dribble, make blind passes, is poised on penalties, good with dead balls…every time he comes onto the pitch, he adds a dimension to the game that Lyon lacks.

Without a doubt, he has the most potential of any French prospect with a VERY HIGH margin of progression, even more so than Benzema and Nasri.

Unfortunately, his flaws are holding him back. While Nasri and Benzema are enjoying call-ups to the French NT, Ben Arfa has spent the greater portion of this year playing for the Lyon reserve squad (it’s interesting to note that two years ago, Benzema and Nasri were the ones in Ben Arfa’s shadow). He’s only started six league matches this year and spent the greater portion of 2007 being sanctioned by Houllier for showing up late to practice.

He’s also suspended for the last four matches of the season (like Baros) for getting red carded during a reserve match.

ben arfa2

U17 champs…will they be together again anytime soon?

It’s sad, but for all his potential, Ben Arfa doesn’t have the maturity that Nasri and Benzema possess. He’s often been termed a selfish player because of his unwillingness to use his teammates and because he tries to do too much by himself. Conversely, sometimes he avoids doing anything individual for fear of being benched by Houllier. So he has to find the right balance between relying on his own abilities and trusting his teammates – basically being able to make the right choices.

It’s no wonder that Juninho compared him to Cristiano Ronaldo (so I guess it’s not exactly a compliment…?)

But when he matures (that is, if he ever does), he’ll be absolutely unstoppable. That’s why if Florent Malouda does end up leaving Lyon this summer, I won’t be too upset.

Here are some clips of Ben Arfa:

Ben Arfa’s beginnings in football and how he ended up at Lyon. Also shows him as a kid.

Ben Arfa cuts through three PSG defenders, an action which led to two Lyon goals. Sweet.

Ben Arfa scores his first ever goal in Ligue 1 with his weaker right foot.