It is easy to draw comparisons between former Newcastle United attacker Hatem Ben Arfa and West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta.
They are both absolute mavericks, capable of carving open defences with their genius. Hatem Ben Arfa was adored at Newcastle United for his dribbling ability and skill, while Lucas Paqueta is bringing Brazilian flair to the London Stadium.
Both players do things with a football that some players cannot even dream of. Their talent knows no bounds, but that does not necessarily mean they are the perfect footballer.
Alan Pardew witnessed that when he was Newcastle United manager. He had a maverick in his team in Ben Arfa, but could not always get the best out of him. In fact, he often opted not to play the French winger.
That is because Ben Arfa was so poor defensively, and that is why he has compared the mercurial talent to Paqueta.
Hatem Ben Arfa of Newcastle celebrates scoring to make it 1-0 during the Barclays Premier League match between Newcastle United and Bolton Wanderer...
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Alan Pardew explains why Lucas Paqueta is similar to maverick Hatem Ben Arfa
Over the weekend, West Ham lost 5-2 to Arsenal. During that game, Paqueta conceded a penalty for a ridiculous foul in the box.
It was incredibly naïve of the Brazil international, and Pardew has admitted on TalkSPORT that Paqueta’s defensive shortcomings remind him of what Ben Arfa was like at St James’ Park.
“I had Ben Arfa at Newcastle who could do things with a ball… you know, top top level,” he said.
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“He had unbelievable talent. He literally had zero defensive qualities in him. He didn’t want to defend. He couldn’t defend. Even when he did, he’d give fouls away and cause a problem.
“The players wanted him out the team more than I did. It was almost like he’s costing us. He couldn’t see that and got disgruntled. We had a few issues with him, because he was frustrated. As much as we tried to put it in him, that defensive angle of the game just doesn’t go in. To be fair to Ben Arfa, he tried.
“I think Paqueta is in that frame. He’s almost like a liability at times when you haven’t got the ball, but he’s got unbelievable quality.
“If I was at West Ham, I would play him.”
Newcastle United need a player like Lucas Paqueta right now
At 37, Ben Arfa now plays padel. He is trying to conquer a different sport, after his football career ended with questions of ‘what if’. Ben Arfa felt like untapped potential, as he never hit the heights he should have done for a player so gifted.
As for Paqueta, he is a player who Newcastle United fans would love to have right now.
While he is defensively poor, he has the attacking talent that the Magpies are missing at this moment in time.
Eddie Howe needs someone who can create chances from central areas, which is exactly what Paqueta does. He is an attacking midfielder, which is exactly what Newcastle are missing.
It is well documented that Newcastle tried to sign Paqueta in 2022, with Bruno Guimaraes keen for his best friend to join him at St James’ Park. He joined West Ham instead, where his defensive contributions are currently proving to be an issue.
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