Nabil Bentaleb form suggests Newcastle should revisit £35m Boubakary Soumare

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Since joining Newcastle, Nabil Bentaleb has started every game.

The Algerian returned to the Premier League in January, arriving on loan from Schalke. However, his first three appearances in a Newcastle shirt have been mixed.

He’s shown a confidence in possession that we’ve been missing at times, but he’s also been sluggish in front of the defence.

Coming back from a long term injury, Bentaleb looks a long way off the pace at times. Particularly in the Arsenal defeat, he was overran in the middle of the park.

However, if things had gone differently in January, he might not have joined Newcastle at all.

There was talk last month of Newcastle targeting a ‘mystery’ player, and it later emerged that the player in question was Boubakary Soumare.

According to the Chronicle, the Magpies launched a £35million move for the Lille midfielder, only for Soumare to turn down the move.

They add that Newcastle are unlikely to revisit the move in the summer, but maybe they should.

The early signs suggest that Bentaleb isn’t the kind of player that Steve Bruce wanted. We need protection and energy in front of the defence, which is something the ex-Spurs man isn’t bringing to the table.

In contrast, Soumare is a box-to-box player who can get around the pitch. He’s also competent in possession, boasting a 89.1% pass accuracy in all competitions this season.

Bentaleb has until the end of the season to prove he deserves a permanent deal at St James’ Park. But if he fails to do so, Newcastle must reconsider their stance on Soumare.