Newcastle are closing in on a loan deal for Nabil Bentaleb, and there’s also an option to make it permanent in the summer.
According to the Chronicle, the Magpies will have to pay Schalke around £9 million if they want to keep the Algerian at St James’ Park. There’s no obligation though, which makes this a pretty perfect deal.
If Bentaleb impresses between now and the summer, then a permanent contract will surely come his way. If he doesn’t impress, he’ll head back to Germany.
Newcastle’s ‘try before you buy’ approach is sensible, as Bentaleb might not hit the heights that some fans expect. He’s missed a lot of football due to injury, while disciplinary issues have also stopped him from playing.
But if the midfielder can get back to his best under Steve Bruce, signing him sounds like a no brainer.
The Magpies had a similar situation with Jetro Willems. They agreed a deal to sign him in the summer, but there was no obligation if things didn’t go well. While his time in Newcastle has ended prematurely, he’s surely done enough to earn a permanent move.
Hopefully Bentaleb can have the same impact. He’s grown a lot since breaking through as a teenager at Tottenham, but he can offer even more. He hasn’t even hit his peak years yet, still just 25.
You don’t get much for £9 million these days, so if Bentaleb performs well at St James’ Park, he’ll be an absolute bargain buy this summer.
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