Nabil Bentaleb in negotiations for new Tottenham contract

Nabil Bentaleb's had a good year. In 2014 he was a Tottenham Hotspur youth prospect, training and improving but nowhere near the first team. Twelve months later, he's not only gotten his chance with Spurs' first team -- and made the central midfield position his own -- but has started in the World Cup and African Cup of Nations with Algeria. Now, Tom Collomosse of the Evening Standard is reporting that Bentaleb is in discussions with Tottenham for a new contract that would keep him in lilywhite for the foreseeable future and dramatically increase his wages.

It's impossible to say that Bentaleb hasn't earned a new contract. Collomosse, the Standard's Spurs beat writer, reports that Bentaleb is currently making around £8k-10k/week, which is decent for a youth player, but well below what a Premier League starting midfielder would expect to earn. Details about the new deal haven't been released, but Collomosse writes that the contract could "double his salary."

Bentaleb has not only played well for Spurs, he's proven over the course of the season to be perhaps Tottenham's best and most consistent central midfielder. Locking down Bentaleb to a new contract not only rewards his exceptional performances for Tottenham but also keeps him happy and a Spurs player. Re-signing Nabil is an absolute no-brainer.

With Bentaleb, Harry Kane, and Ryan Mason, Tottenham have a spine of home-grown club-developed players that they can build upon for the future. Combine that with up-and-coming players like Tom Carroll, Alex Pritchard, Milos Veljkovic, and Josh Onomah, and it's an exciting time for the future of Tottenham Hotspur.