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Ben Arfa on Bremen's radar

Image: Ben Arfa: Mounting interest

Werder Bremen may be about to usurp Newcastle in their efforts to land Marseille winger Hatem Ben Arfa.

German giants enter the race for French winger

Werder Bremen may be about to usurp Newcastle in their efforts to land Marseille winger Hatem Ben Arfa. The Magpies have been tracking the France international for some time and had hoped to put a loan agreement in place. However, Marseille are keen to strike a permanent deal, with Ben Arfa having made it clear that he no longer wishes to play for the club. Newcastle have yet to reply to the latest demands of the reigning Ligue 1 champions, and that delay may have opened the door to other suitors. Among those ready to pounce are German giants Werder Bremen, who are looking to find a suitable replacement for the Real Madrid-bound Mesut Ozil. "If Ben Arfa and his agents are happy to do that, that would be no trouble to us," Marseille chairman Jean-Claude Dassier told L'Equipe on Bremen's interest. "We even believe that the German league would be better suited to him than the English league."

Targets

Meanwhile, Marseille are the latest club to be linked with a move for Nice's Loic Remy. Didier Deschamps is close to agreeing a deal for Toulouse frontman Andre-Pierre Gignac, but is believed to have identified Remy as a possible target should that move break down. The l'OM boss is also said to be keen on former Manchester United and Arsenal centre-half Mikael Silvestre. With Marseille having looked far from solid at the back in their season openers, the 33-year-old is considered to be a reliable and experienced option to plug the gaps.

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