Newcastle releases Ben Arfa ahead of his Nice move

NEWCASTLE, England (AP) - Premier League club Newcastle has released French forward Hatem Ben Arfa ahead of his move to Nice.

Nice said Saturday that it has reached a deal in principle with the 27-year-old Ben Arfa, who spent the first half of the season on loan at Hull.

Ben Arfa is scheduled to have a medical at Nice on Monday and will make the move as a free agent.

Ben Arfa joined Newcastle from Marseille in 2010, initially on loan before signing permanently.