Paris Saint-Germain sign Hatem Ben Arfa on free transfer

Unai Emery

Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed the signing of Hatem Ben Arfa on a two-year deal.

Ben Arfa, 29, was out of contract at Nice and the French champions have beaten off competition from a number of European clubs to sign the player.

The France international, who scored 17 goals and provided six assists in Ligue 1 for Nice last season, is thrilled to have made the move to the French capital

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"Signing with Paris Saint-Germain is a very happy and a proud moment," Ben Arfa told PSG's official website. "Paris Saint-Germain has always been a very special team for me, so to wear this jersey at the Parc des Princes is a childhood dream.

"It is an honour that the club is giving me this opportunity, making this dream come true. I will do my utmost to represent my new team to the best of my abilities and to make our supporters proud.

"Finally, I would like to thank OGC Nice, who helped me get back to enjoying my football again and gave me another chance to show French fans what I am capable of on the pitch."

Hatem Ben Arfa

PSG chairman and CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi added: "I am happy to welcome such a talented player as Hatem Ben Arfa to our club. For numerous years now, Hatem has been a major player in French football and was one of the most brilliant players in Ligue 1 last season.

"Our fans have been anticipating the arrival of a player of his style and I know he will provide them with a lot of excitement on the field. With his support, Paris Saint-Germain reaffirms its commitment to develop a spectacular style of football."

Ben Arfa, who has also played for Lyon, Marseille, Newcastle and Hull, will be keen to impress new PSG boss Unai Emery after he succeeded Laurent Blanc last month.

His career looked to have plummeted before his arrival at Nice, with his time in England ending with a failed loan spell to Hull after a falling out with then-Newcastle manager Alan Pardew, who left the Frenchman to train with the club's reserves.

Ben Arfa could soon be joined by Grzegorz Krychowiak at the Parc des Princes, with the Poland international expecting to soon have news about whether his proposed move from Sevilla will be completed.