FC Schalke 04 set to loan Nabil Bentaleb to Newcastle
FC Schalke 04 center midfielder Nabil Bentaleb has always been expected to leave the club this January, and it looks like he will complete a loan deal to the Premier League shortly.
A number of Premier League teams had been linked to Nabil Bentaleb over the past couple of weeks, with Crystal Palace mentioned most frequently in transfer rumors involving the FC Schalke 04 center midfielder.
According to The Northern Echo’s Scott Wilson, Newcastle United have agreed to a loan deal with Schalke for Bentaleb, and the deal should be completed on Monday.
Per Footmercato’s Sebastien Denis, via Get French Football News, Newcastle will have an option to buy Bentaleb for 10 million euros. To compare, TSG Hoffenheim recently activated the option to buy center midfielder Sebastian Rudy from Schalke on their loan deal, and his price tag was six million euros.
Bentaleb showed his quality for the Royal Blues in three seasons. The former Tottenham player never scored fewer than three goals in a season for Schalke, with his best season coming in 2016-2017 when he scored five times and assisted five times in the Bundesliga.
The 28-year-old is an above-average passer and shooter, has sufficient technical quality on the ball to be a box-to-box midfielder, and is a good defender with excellent intelligence in reading the game. He can add a lot to Newcastle’s midfield on both ends of the pitch as a defensive midfielder, box-to-box player, or in a more attacking role in midfield when necessary.
Bentaleb never played a single minute for the Royal Blues in their bounce-back campaign under David Wagner, as there has been a rift between him and a club for a number of reasons. The Algeria international clearly needed a change of scenery, and while Ligue 1 clubs – Bentaleb was born in Lille, France – were options, a move back to the Premier League makes the most sense.
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He clearly has the quality to shine in the Premier League and be an important player for Newcastle. Schalke will hope the loan deal is completed and that Bentaleb blossoms with his new team, getting a permanent deal to a team that needs him.