Nabil Bentaleb Signs With Schalke

Bolstering Schalke

Bentaleb has constantly featured since joining the German outfit on loan. This includes 24 appearances, only three of which are from the bench, managing a total of five goals and four assists. On the surface, this appears to be a modest return. However, by comparing his contribution to the league position of the club, Schalke currently sit 10th in the Bundesliga. Therefore, these stats relative to the overall club performance make for better reading.

The key skills that Bentaleb is currently bringing to Schalke are his passing range, technical ability and his stamina. These attributes are important in his dynamic midfield play, allowing him to make box-to-box runs. This is partly why he has already managed to notch five goals at the club. At his old club, he only managed one goal against Newcastle United in the Capital One Cup. So, it is clear that the Algerian has already made some progress as a result of the loan move.

Spurs Midfield Depth

Spurs fans will suffer little at Bentaleb’s departure. Despite once forming a key midfield duo with Ryan Mason, the club have since bolstered their midfield. The depth that they now have is tremendous. Victor Wanyama has forged his place in deep midfield, even displacing Eric Dier. His partnership with Mousa Dembélé is formidably strong, physically and technically. In addition, there are young players like Harry Winks to supplement the midfield. As a result, the departure of Bentaleb has little impact on the squad.

The transfer fee of £16m is another great piece of business for Daniel Levy. Turning unwanted players into profit is what he is renowned for. Considering that players of Wanyama’s calibre can be bought for £11m, this revenue could help to bolster the squad further. In the summer, this could allow the club to chase a quality striker to back up Harry Kane. Alternatively, this fee enlarges the Tottenham profit margin and could help go towards speeding the construction of the new stadium.