Ben Arfa made his competitive debut for Rennes in the Europa League Group K 2–1 home win over Jablonec by coming on as a second-half substitute; playing his first competitive match since 5 April 2017, he scored the final goal from a penalty in the 91st minute. On 7 October, Ben Arfa scored the final goal in the 77th minute (his first career Ligue 1 goal for Rennes) after his 14th minute corner had assisted Damien Da Silva's goal in a 2–1 away win over Monaco. On 8 December, Ben Arfa scored the final goal in the 89th minute after he had set up Benjamin Bourigeaud's goal in a 2–0 Ligue 1 home win over Dijon. On 27 April 2019, Ben Arfa won the Coupe de France as Rennes defeated his former club Paris Saint-Germain in the final on penalties. Real Valladolid On 28 January 2020, Ben Arfa signed with La Liga club Real Valladolid on a six-month contract. He chose the number 3 jersey, an uncommon shirt number for an attacker, and explained his choice by stating that "on the shirt, it looks pretty". However, his performances failed to convince, and after a mere five appearances, he left the club as a free agent. Bordeaux On 7 October 2020, Ben Arfa joined Ligue 1 side Bordeaux on a one-year contract. He scored his first goal for the club on 20 November against his former club Rennes. Ben Arfa enjoyed a "good start to the season", scoring two goals and providing five assists in 2020 with Bordeaux. However, he endured a difficult second half of the season, which was marred by injuries and problems in the locker room with several teammates, notably with captain Laurent Koscielny. He also had a deteriorating relationship with manager Jean-Louis Gasset. On 26 May 2021, sporting director Alain Roche confirmed that Ben Arfa would be leaving the club at the end of his contract. He stated that the option for a further year included in Ben Arfa's deal was "conditioned upon sporting criteria" that were not met. Lille On 19 January 2022, Ben Arfa joined reigning Ligue 1 champions Lille on a six-month contract. He made his debut as a substitute in a 2–0 defeat to Brest three days later. On his first start for Les Dogues on 6 February, Ben Arfa went on to provide an assist for Sven Botman's goal in a 5–1