The French international caught the eye of both Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger during his time at Lyon – where he scored seven league goals in 64 appearances.
However, he opted to remain in Ligue 1 rather than move to the Premier League, signing for Marseille in 2008.
And although Ben Arfa has netted a further six goals in 46 league outings, he has found first-team opportunities harder to come by in 2009/10 following a heated argument with coach Didier Deschamps - having previously been fined for missing a training session.
As a result, the 22-year-old has been linked with an escape from French shores during the January transfer window, with United, Arsenal and Real Madrid all believed to be tracking the highly-rated flanker.
But Marseille president Jean-Claude Dassier has revealed that he expects Ben Arfa to stay put for the time being, although he admitted he would be prepared to listen to offers that match his valuation of the player.
"There is a 95 percent chance of him staying at the club," Dassier told France Football.
"I never thought he would leave and he was never very enthusiastic about leaving either.
"We have received no offers, but it is true that if a club like Manchester United or Real Madrid offered €45 million then we would have to think twice.
"But I don't believe it will happen."
The Red Devils may be tempted to move for Ben Arfa as a replacement for Portuguese international Nani, who has lost his place in the side to summer signing Gabriel Obertan and has been tipped to depart Old Trafford.
While Gunners' boss Arsene Wenger has admitted he is on the lookout for a forward during the winter window following injuries to Robin van Persie, Nicklas Bendtner and Eduardo, which has resulted in Russian playmaker Andrei Arshavin playing as a makeshift striker.
