Nabil Bentaleb has concluded his time at Tottenham by making the permanent switch to Schalke. The Algerian has been on loan at the Bundesliga outfit since the summer. Schalke had got him to the club on a loan deal, but there was a clause that allowed the German outfit to buy him on a permanent basis for around £16 million. Only a few weeks ago, there were rumours that Bentaleb was considering a return to White Hart Lane. It was due to the fact that Schalke were struggling in the Bundesliga and would not have been able to offer European football in the upcoming campaign.
We have reached agreement with Schalke for the permanent transfer of Nabil Bentaleb this summer. We wish Nabil all the best for the future. pic.twitter.com/3mFztc45xQ
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 24, 2017
Even now, the situation has not changed with the German outfit only in the 10th place after 21 matches. Considering that they have to make up at least eight points in order to catch Hertha Berlin or Frankfurt, it seems highly unlikely that the club will be able to offer European football to some of the best players. Bentaleb has certainly been one of the top players for the club after having contributed eight goals in 18 starts this season. Four of those eight goals have been directly from Bentaleb with the player providing four more assists.
He has been used as a central midfielder at Schalke. This role appears to have suited the player, who may not have been able to get the same at White Hart Lane since Tottenham lineup in a different formation. Furthermore, the likes of Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli have become the focus of Tottenham’s midfield, while Wanyama and Mousa Dembele provide support to the attacking players from a defensive midfield position. The club certainly seems settled when it comes to the midfield and Bentaleb returning to the club would have disrupted the formation.
It will certainly be a fresh start to his career. Bentaleb has been at Tottenham throughout his professional career. Tottenham scouts managed to get their attention fixed completely on the midfielder during his two years with Dunkerque. This led to the move to the North London outfit in 2012. Within one year, Bentaleb was making his debut for the club. However, the midfielder will certainly attribute the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino as a key factor that accelerated his departure from the club. It was clear from the start that Bentaleb was not going to settle under the Argentine manager.
In his second season at the club, Bentaleb made 35 appearances in all competitions. However, this reduced drastically during the 2015-16 season when he made only 17 appearances in all competitions.
