Tottenham’s Nabil Bentaleb is being linked with Newcastle United.
Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko in action with Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen
According to The Mirror, Tottenham could use Nabil Bentaleb in a part-exchange deal for Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko – but L’Equipe claim a loan deal with Schalke has already been agreed.
Bentaleb, 21, became a first-team player under Tim Sherwood and Mauricio Pochettino, and particularly impressed during the 2014/15 season as he became a key part of the Spurs side.
Those displays were enough to earn a new contract last summer, but Bentaleb has since been frozen out under Pochettino, and made just five Premier League appearances last season.
Tottenham’s Nabil Bentaleb in action with AC Milan’s Nigel de Jong
Now training with the Tottenham Under-21’s, Bentaleb clearly has no future under Pochettino – and The Mirror claim that he could be heading to Newcastle in a part-exchange deal for Moussa Sissoko.
27-year-old midfielder Sissoko blew hot and cold during Newcastle’s relegation campaign last season, and doesn’t exactly seem like the kind of player Pochettino would want in his Spurs side, with many Magpies fans criticising him for a lack of effort last term.
Aston Villa’s Alan Hutton in action with Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko
However, Sissoko did star for France at Euro 2016 this summer, and would offer the power and drive from midfield that Spurs sometimes lack without the suspended Moussa Dembele.
Seemingly angling for a move away from Newcastle, Sissoko won’t want to play in the Championship, and his displays at Euro 2016 suggest he can still perform at a high level consistenty.
It’s suggested that Spurs are now looking to use Bentaleb in a deal to drive Sissoko’s £30m asking price down, with the Algerian international valued at £15m by Tottenham.
Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse and Tottenham’s Nabil Bentaleb in action
Intriguingly though, whilst Newcastle are believed to be keen on signing Bentaleb, L’Equipe report that Schalke today agreed a deal with Spurs to sign the midfielder on loan with a view to a permanent deal.
Bentaleb hasn’t accepted the move yet, and may well be waiting to see whether a move to Newcastle materialises in the coming days ahead of the transfer deadline next week.
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