Liverpool’s £8m valuation of Newcastle star now looks like a joke

Over the summer there were reportsof interest in Newcastle United star Hatem Ben Arfa, but given the performances of the Frenchman in the first month of the season, it now looks like Liverpool FC valuation of Ben Arfa was some way off the mark.

Liverpool have been long-term suitors of Hatem Ben Arfa and it is thought that Reds manager Brendan Rodgers is a keen admirer of the Frenchman and was looking to make a bid for the 26-year-old in the January transfer window.

According to The Metro they were lining up a bid of £6million and were willing to go to £8m to get their man, but given the last two Premier League outings for Newcastle, there’s no way Ben Arfa will be available for anything near that price.

Hatem Ben Arfa is still contracted to Newcastle until the end of the 2014/15 Premier League season, and the Magpies hierarchy have been looking to extend that for a further two years by offering him anew deal.

The Frenchman currently earns £40,000-a-week, but he could even double his salary and earn weekly wages of £80,000 given his importance to Newcastle.

One thing’s for sure; Mike Ashley definitely won’t be selling him for less than £10m, and £15m would even look like a bargain for Ben Arfa right now.