Hatem Ben Arfa believes he still has time to reach the same level as Barcelona and Real Madrid stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ben Arfa, 29, is out of contract at Nice this summer and able to move on a free transfer after an incredible return to form resulted in him being shortlisted by his fellow professionals for the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award, which was won by Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
In an interview published in Le Parisien on Friday, Ben Arfa indicated that Barcelona, Lyon, and Paris Saint-Germain were among the clubs he could see himself playing for.
The former Newcastle attacker, who is on standby for France's Euro 2016 squad, has previously spoken about his desire to win the Ballon d'Or. And he feels that he has the ability to rival the two men who have picked up the prize between them ever year since 2008.
"I'm still a long way from the Cristianos and the Messis but I still have some years left to catch up with them," Ben Arfa told Le Parisien. "That's my objective. "
Ben Arfa has just enjoyed his most successful season, scoring 17 goals and making six more as Nice finished fourth in Ligue 1, and he is certain that there is more to come.
"I'm not yet at my peak," he said. "Everything is becoming possible for me. In my head and in my legs, I'm 24 or 25. It's the age at which you reach maturity in football.
"I've developed and I feel ready to look for something else. I have new strength."