Former Newcastle winger Hatem Ben Arfa became a free agent in the summer when his contract at Ligue 1 side Rennes expired, and he is still without a club.
He revealed he has had a number of offers over the off-season, but none of them excited him enough to consider signing a contract.
The report claims West Ham had an interest in the enigmatic Frenchman, as well as other European sides including Italian club Fiorentina and Turkish side Fenerbahce.
Many Newcastle fans would love to see the player – who both excited and frustrated in equal measures – re-sign for the Magpies, and with the injuries to Allan Saint-Maximin and Matt Ritchie, it would be hard to say that he could not come in and do a job in the short-term.
Any chance of a return to Newcastle has disappeared
But any chance of Ben Arfa gracing the St James’ Park turf with more moments of magic, like the amazing solo goal he scored against Blackburn in the FA Cup a few years ago, were wiped away when Newcastle appointed their new manager.
Having fallen foul of the management and hierarchy at many of his clubs, Newcastle was no exception.
Despite being idolised by most of the supporters, he fell out with Alan Pardew, who shipped him out on loan, with Hull taking him.
But he managed to upset the Tigers’ boss too, while there, and that man was no other than Steve Bruce.
That would almost certainly have snuffed out any hopes of Ben Arfa returning to Tyneside – even as a potential stop-gap.
Where his next move eventually takes him, is anyone’s guess, but it is fair to say it will not be on the banks of the Tyne.
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