According to The Daily Mail, when Newcastle's attempt to sign Hatem Ben Arfa on loan from Marseille hit a stumbling block - surprise surprise it was all down to Newcastle's supposedly derisory offer that had infuriated the French side - a big Premier League side (either Man Utd or Liverpool) attempted to swoop in and scupper the deal. Perhaps it was just Marseille planting a story to get Newcastle to firm up their interest a little more, but it's intriguing all the same. Imagine what the Frenchman could have done at Man Utd under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson, who would no doubt have massaged his ego and let him know he was the asset that Newcastle never quite did.
