Newcastle Transfers: 8 Reasons Why Hatem Ben Arfa May Have To Be Sold

5. Moments Of Magic Too Infrequent

Football fans in England have been spoilt in recent seasons. Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale are two names in particular that have captured the imagination of the world, especially in Spain, as a combined £166m was spent on them by Real Madrid, breaking the transfer record twice. From midfield, both provided an obscene amount of goals over the years. Bale plundered 49 goals in his final three years at White Hart Lane, while Ronaldo weighed in with a stunning 91 in his last three Old Trafford seasons. Ben Arfa's record in an admittedly injury-hampered spell in an inferior side? 13 goals in three years. For all his breathtaking ability, the inconsistency is undeniable. To compare him to the likes of Bale and Ronaldo (I'm not even going near Messi) is unfair, but they are at the true top echelons of the game, and the benchmark for any playmaker. It is quite possible that Ben Arfa would score bucketloads playing for a big Spanish team, but players only get there by proving consistency at lower levels, and that has not happened. Ben Arfa is never likely to be the consistent match-winner Newcastle need, and they arguably already have one up front in Loic Remy, for this season at least, so is it finally time to make a profit on their mercurial wing-man?