The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder is looking good out on loan.
When Tottenham Hotspur sent midfielder Nabil Bentaleb on loan to Schalke in the summer, few Spurs fans were bemoaning his loss.
Despite an impressive breakthrough campaign at White Hart Lane, the Algerian international faltered last season, due in no small part to a series of injuries that robbed him of game time.
With Dele Alli and Eric Dier excelling in his absence, and Victor Wanyama and Moussa Sissoko signed this summer, Bentaleb was unlikely to get sufficient minutes and thus headed out to the Bundesliga.
His initial struggles suggested Mauricio Pochettino had made a wise move. However as Schalke’s form has improved so has Bentaleb’s and he recently scored his fourth goal in his last four Bundesliga matches in a 3-1 victory against Werder Bremen.
Add to that his recent strike against Augsburg and a brace against Mainz and it is clear that Bentaleb is enjoying himself in his new surroundings. He may also be convincing Tottenham to give him another chance this summer.
It is easy to forget just how much injuries can rob a player of form, while at just 21 Bentaleb has practically his entire professional career ahead of him.
He has already proved he can hack it in the Premier League, and this loan spell could be exactly what he needs to return to Tottenham with the bit between his teeth and a second chance under Pochettino, despite his time in North London previously looking all but over.
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