The French playmaker has told the local media he is content to fight for his place at United, suggesting he is ready to outlast Alan Pardew.
The pair do not get on, and "this toon ain't big enough for the both of us".
Pardew has him training with the second string, even though he is probably the most gifted player the manager has in his squad.
It remains to be seen whether a late bid will take him back to France in this transfer window, which ends on Monday.
Pardew watched Ben Arfa play 90 minutes against Reading on Monday when he scored a fine individual goal on a productive run-out for Peter Beardsley’s side.
But that won't sway the manager into recalling him for the fixture against Crystal Palace this weekend.