France coach Laurent Blanc is keeping tabs on Hatem Ben Arfa's progress at Newcastle United.
Blanc has told Ben Arfa not to rule himself out of his country's European Championship campaign.
A source close to Ben Arfa told the Evening Chronicle: "Laurent Blanc was among the first to text Hatem to congratulate him on his move to Newcastle United.
"He texted him on the day Newcastle played Wolves to wish him good luck at the club.
"Laurent told him he was an important player for the France national team, and he'd only been left out of the last squad because he hadn't been playing games."
