Tottenham midfielder Nabil Bentaleb is reportedly close to leaving for Schalke.
Tottenham’s Nabil Bentaleb
According to Foot Mercato, Tottenham midfielder Nabil Bentaleb is edging towards a move to Schalke, after the Bundesliga side made a new and improved bid for the player.
Bentaleb, 21, joined Spurs from Dunkerque in 2012, and having made his way up through the ranks at White Hart Lane, he eventually became a first-team player under former boss Tim Sherwood.
Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse and Tottenham’s Nabil Bentaleb in action
The Algerian enjoyed a superb first season under Mauricio Pochettino, and earned a new contract last summer off the back of those performances – but things have turned sour for Bentaleb ever since.
Bentaleb played just five Premier League games last season, and only two of those appearances were starts as he slipped well down the pecking order under Pochettino.
Now training with Tottenham’s Under-21’s ahead of a possible move, Bentaleb has even lost the number six shirt and been demoted back down to number 42, a fairly clear sign that his days are numbered.
The Mirror reported over the weekend that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy had rejected a £10m bid from Schalke for Bentaleb, with a £15m asking price slapped on his head.
Tottenham’s Nabil Bentaleb in action with AC Milan’s Nigel de Jong
In a possible sign of how keen Schalke are to land Bentaleb before anybody else does, Foot Mercato now report that the midfielder is closing in on a move to the Veltins Arena after Schalke made a new and improved bid on Sunday.
Schalke need a midfielder having seen loanee Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg return to Bayern Munich before joining Southampton, and Bentaleb – who clearly has no future at White Hart Lane – appears to be their top target.
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