Newcastle boss Rafa Benítez made it clear over the transfer window that he wanted to bring a number ten in the north of England. Unfortunately for The Magpies, that never came to fruition, but there are still glimmers of hope.

Former Newcastle man Hatem Ben Arfa (valued at £4.5m on Transfermarkt.co.uk) is unassigned at the moment, and would be fantastic business at this part of the season for a team that didn't recruit over the summer as heavily as they may have needed.

Ben Arfa endured a turbulent spell at St James' Park at the beginning of the decade, falling in and out of favour with manager Alan Pardew due to fitness issues. After being released in 2015, he had a brilliant season with Nice in Ligue 1, scoring 17 goals with six assists in 24 league appearances. That earned him a transfer to French giants PSG, where he had a successful first season, but did not feature last season, causing him to be released by the Parisian club.

However, with Newcastle seeking creativity in the midfield, a fully fit Ben Arfa could provide that option. The trouble is with a player that historically has had fitness concerns, it is unclear what player will turn up to the club. But after being one of two clubs that came out of the transfer window in profit, Newcastle could definitely do with a new face to ease the discontent that has been building amongst fans.