Newcastle United’s takeover saga has brought a lot of uncertainty over their summer transfer plans. Whether they will have a lot of money to spend or none at all remains to be seen, which could hurt them.
The Magpies have a few players on loan at the moment. Nabil Bentaleb is one of them and Newcastle have an option to sign the former Spurs man for just £9 million at the end of the season.
The current Premier League campaign comes to a close on Sunday when Newcastle host the champions. A win then, or even a draw if other results go their way, will seal a 13th-place finish for them which is a brilliant achievement.
Sadly for Newcastle, they will have to decide on Bentaleb’s future almost immediately after the final game. BILD claim that their option to buy him permanently for £9 million expires on Monday, five days from today, after which other clubs can move for him.
Schalke are hoping that the Magpies make that move as they are looking to raise funds themselves. Selling Bentaleb to Newcastle will give them the £9 million as well as free up the midfielder’s £4.5 million-a-year wages, easing their financial burden.
Bentaleb has played 11 times in the league for the Magpies since joining them on loan. The former Tottenham midfielder is yet to register a goal or an assist, and his performances haven’t been out of this world either.
If the takeover does go through and Newcastle get to spend significant sums, Bentaleb will almost certainly not be in their plans. However, if they have to work on a tight budget, the Algerian could well be an option for them next season.
Newcastle might let the deadline pass without making any move. The Magpies might use Schalke’s need for money to bring down his asking price, which would financially be a smart decision.
However, that opens up the risk of another club making a move for Bentaleb, and he might well choose against returning to Newcastle in favour of a move elsewhere this summer.
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