Nabil Bentaleb has told La Gazette du Funnec that he regrets leaving Tottenham Hotspur in 2017 to join Schalke on a permanent basis, after spending a year on loan at the Bundesliga club Schalke during the 2016-17 campaign.
Bentaleb, 28, clocked up 66 senior outings for Spurs before deciding to leave the club. He joined Schalke and in the five years he spent at Bundesliga outfit, he played just 107 times. He left Schalke on a free in the summer of 2021.
Remaining a free agent for six months, the Algeria international then joined French side Angers on a free in January 2022. He has since become the French club’s captain, playing 41 times over the course of the pas 12 months.
Bentaleb discussed his exit from Tottenham six years ago, when he was still only aged 22. He admits that he made a mistake in requesting a move from Spurs so early on, rather than trying to fight for his place at the London club.
“I was young, stupid. I rushed, I did everything to force an exit when they were really counting on me at Tottenham, but when I had an idea in mind, I wanted to see it through. If you ask me now, looking back, I would have stayed.”
Nabil Bentaleb regrets leaving Tottenham in 2017 to join Schalke
Bentaleb, a holding midfielder renowned for his aerial ability and his passing – short and long – has since captained Angers in Ligue 1 this season. But his side are really struggling, sitting rock bottom of the top tier of French football.
The 36-time Algeria star could be on the move once again if Angers are relegated. His contract at Angers ends in the summer of 2025. But if Angers fail to produce a miraculous run of form and stay up, it is likely he will be leaving.
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