Angers SCO has confirmed the signing of former Newcastle United loanee Nabil Bentaleb.
The Algerian midfielder parted ways with his previous club Schalke last July and has trained with the French side since September.
With his fitness being an issue, the 27-year-old has been able to improve it over the last few months. He has signed a three and a half year deal with Angers, who currently sit 11th in Ligue 1.
Some Newcastle fans will remember Bentaleb’s brief stint with the Magpies in 2020. He joined on loan from Schalke in January of that year, but really struggled to impress.
Where did it all go wrong for Bentaleb at Newcastle?
In his half a season on Tyneside it was certainly one to forget for the Algerian international. Bentaleb looked totally off the pace and was incredibly slow on and off the ball.
Additionally, when watching the Toon Army at this time, it was hard to work out what he actually did in midfield. Very often Bentaleb seemed to be a passenger on the pitch and there to make up the numbers.
The loan signing of the 27-year-old was a typical Mike Ashley type deal. Sign a player on loan who is out of favour with his current club. Before the games he played with Newcastle, Bentaleb hadn’t played a league game in about 18 months. So, it was going to be hard to get much out of the midfielder.
Clearly, Angers made sure that Bentaleb was well and truly back to full fitness before signing him. It’s really been many years since the Algerian has shown glimpses of quality, but a fresh start could be just what he needs.
Surely this spell in Ligue 1 can’t fare much worse than his time on Tyneside?
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