Newcastle United winger Hatem Ben Arfa could be on the verge of leaving the club after reports suggested that his representatives have already begun talks with officials from Tottenham Hotspur.

The France international has been repeatedly linked with a possible move to Liverpool in the summer but it appears as though Tottenham are trying to usurp the Merseyside club in order to secure a deal early in the summer transfer window.

Hatem Ben Arfa
Hatem Ben Arfa has impressed for Newcastle but has struggled with injuries for much of the season. [Reuters]

The Daily Express are reporting that Tottenham have already opened negotiations with Ben Arfa, who has been unable to prevent Newcastle's slide down the league that could yet see them relegated to the Championship.

The Toon are just five points above the relegation zone and will be wary of being caught by Wigan, who have one game in hand and are used to battling for survival at this stage of the season.

Ben Arfa has only managed to play 16 Premier League games this season because of injuries and was recently reported to have upset supporters by wearing a Paris Saint-Germain kit just days after Newcastle were thrashed 6-0 by Liverpool.

However, the 26-year-old remains one of the most talented attacking players in the Newcastle squad and Alan Pardew would certainly not want to lose him to a Premier League rival.

Liverpool have previously raided Newcastle with mixed success as Jose Enrique has become a regular starter at left-back, but Andy Carroll has struggled to make any sort of impact and has spent the current campaign on-loan at West Ham United.

While the Reds are said to hold an interest in Ben Arfa, it seems Tottenham may be the favourites to land the former Marseille midfielder with French TV station Infosport + also reporting that they have already begun talks.

Spurs are pushing to achieve a top four finish but injuries in recent weeks have shown manager Andre Villas-Boas that there is a slight lack of options in wide positions, especially when Aaron Lennon was sidelined through injury and Gareth Bale was asked to play a more central role.

Ben Arfa can play on either wing and has also shown that he has the ability to play a more central role which could make him an attractive option for Villas-Boas.