Newcastle Transfer News: Joe Kinnear Puts Hatem Ben Arfa's Future In Doubt

Independent. The arrival of the 66-year old former Magpies manager and the resignation of managing director Derek Llambias has created a power struggle at St James' Park and the 26-year old could become a casualty. The French international had hoped to sit down and hold talks over a fresh contract this summer with just two years left on the deal he signed when he made his temporary move to Newcastle permanent in January 2011. And despite enduring frequent injury problems over the last two years since joining on loan from Marseille, the midfielder has still managed to notch 11 goals for Newcastle from 56 starts, something of which has alerted rival clubs Liverpool and free-spending Monaco to his services. And Kinnear could well let him leave because club owner Mike Ashley is unlikely to provide any more money for transfers in the run up to the new season, meaning the North East club will first have to sell before they can buy in this summer's transfer window. Ben Arfa had been hoping for an improvement to his current £40,000-a-week contract, which is dwarfed by many of Newcastle's top earners, but Kinnear could cash in on him instead having already flexed his muscles in the transfer business department since arriving this week by vetoing chief scout Graham Carr's efforts to sign Brazilian centre-half Douglas on a free transfer. And he could stamp his authority on the club further still by sanctioning the sale of Ben Arfa, and there appears to be precious little Alan Pardew and Carr can do to stop him.