Schalke set to sign Nabil Bentaleb permanently for £16m

The January transfer window has been closed for two weeks now, but we’re still getting Tottenham Hotspur news. Today, Sky Sports is reporting that Bundesliga club Schalke is ready to sign Spurs loanee Nabil Bentaleb on a permanent deal.

It’s easy to forget that Bentaleb is technically only on a season-long loan. The Tottenham left back midfielder overcame a disastrous start of the campaign for Schalke to become a regular starter, with four goals and four assists thus far this season.

Sky sources understand that if Bentaleb, as expected, plays against F.C. Köln this weekend, it will be his 20th appearance, which automatically triggers a mandatory purchase clause in his loan contract. Previous reports suggested the purchase price is £16m.

The Algerian international was a regular starter in Mauricio Pochettino’s first year at Tottenham, but quickly fell down the pecking order at Spurs and eventually requested a transfer to a new club.

In some ways it’s a shame – Bentaleb might have been a better choice at left back than Ben Davies against Liverpool! – but £16m for a midfielder whom Pochettino clearly felt was surplus to requirements is pretty good money.