Newcastle Transfers: 5 Best & 5 Worst Ever January Transfer Deals

2. Hatem Ben Arfa

After initially arriving on loan from Marseille in the summer of 2010, Hatem Ben Arfa made an instant impact in his full debut, by scoring a left-footed thunderbolt at Goodison Park in a 1-0 win over the Toffees. Unfortunately, his season was cut short only a few weeks later, when he suffered a broken fibula and tibia after a challenge by Manchester City hard-man Nigel de Jong. Despite the injury, Newcastle and Marseille reached an agreement for the French international, and he arrived permanently on Tyneside for an undisclosed fee, agreeing a four-and-a-half year deal at the North-East club. Returning from injury in the 2011-12 season, Ben Arfa gradually worked his way into the starting line-up, and was a major factor in Newcastle€™s impressive 2nd half of the season, showing some sensational personal form, which was showcased with his spectacular solo goal in the 2-0 win over Bolton. Ben Arfa has subsequently had injury issues this season, but has shown glimpses of his former glory when fit, and Pardew will be eager for him to return to the first-team fold.