Hatem Ben Arfa, free since his departure from Valladolid, has signed up for a season, with another optional, with Bordeaux, his sixth L1 club, the Girondins announced on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old attacking midfielder has had a tough last season.
Without activity for six months following his departure from Rennes in June 2019, he had tried to bounce back last winter in Valladolid, Spain, playing five matches, the last on July 7 against Valencia.
The international with the 15 selections will make his first training Thursday morning before being presented to Matmut Atlantique.
Ben Arfa, who played in Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris SG and Rennes, as well as Newcastle and Hull in the Premier League, received several club proposals this summer but favored a return to L1.
The native of Clamart especially wanted to work again with Jean-Louis Gasset whom he knew in the France team when the Bordeaux coach was assistant to coach Laurent Blanc (2010-2012), even if it means making wage concessions.
"Hatem Ben Arfa is a creator, a football genius"
Jean-Louis Gasset
Asked ten days ago about the Ben Arfa case, Gasset said: “all good players are good ideas.
But, I'm not going to believe in Santa Claus at my age.
Hatem Ben Arfa is a creator, a football genius.
If it's possible ... but frankly I don't know ”.
This arrival is the first recorded by Bordeaux, which had recruited no one during the transfer window which ended on October 5.
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