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3 Reasons why Nabil Bentaleb is the ideal midfielder for Newcastle United

By Durim Halimi

PORTO, PORTUGAL - NOVEMBER 28: Nabil Bentaleb of FC Schalke 04 is challenged by Oliver Torres of FC Porto during the UEFA Champions League Group D match between FC Porto and FC Schalke 04 at Estadio do Dragao on November 28, 2018 in Porto, Portugal. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
PORTO, PORTUGAL - NOVEMBER 28: Nabil Bentaleb of FC Schalke 04 is challenged by Oliver Torres of FC Porto during the UEFA Champions League Group D match between FC Porto and FC Schalke 04 at Estadio do Dragao on November 28, 2018 in Porto, Portugal. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images) /
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Newcastle United have signed Nabil Bentaleb from Schalke 04 in a loan deal with an option to purchase the Algerian international at the end of the season.

Newcastle United have added their name to the list of Premier League transfers this month as they signed Nabil Bentaleb from Bundesliga outfit Schalke 04. The Algerian international has joined Newcastle United as a loanee until the end of the season, but the deal does give the Magpies the option to purchase Bentaleb for €10m if they like what they see.

Earlier this week, my colleague Carson A. Merk noted that signing Bentaleb is a low risk, high reward move, and I agree with that opinion. Bentaleb is a talented player who was highly valued by Schalke 04, but because of some disciplinary issues he was dropped to the reserves in April, 2019. So long as Steve Bruce can express his confidence in Bentaleb and get the best out of him in training, the Magpies could witness the revival of a special player. That being said, here are three reasons why Bentaleb is the ideal midfielder for a team like Newcastle United.

Box-to-Box Midfielder

Bentaleb is a true box-to-box midfielder that Newcastle United desperately need. When looking at the current squad, none of the central midfielders can be labeled box-to-box players. Steve Bruce has some young players who play with plenty of energy, such as the Longstaff brothers, but they primarily focus their attention around the center circle, as does Jonjo Shelvey. Isaac Hayden is aggressive and does well to recover the ball, but his tackles usually take place higher up the pitch.

Bentaleb goes the extra mile and covers ground quickly to win the ball back in front of the back-line, and he hustles back offensively to get involved in the action on the opposite end of the pitch. Unlike like the other central midfielders in the squad, Bentaleb does not need to dish the ball out to someone else immediately after winning the ball back. The Algerian has the pace and technical abilities to win the ball back defensively and bring it up the pitch to lead a counter-attack.

Offensive Contribution

Newcastle United are the second-lowest scoring team in the Premier League. Bentaleb’s arrival will not provide the Toon with a significant boost in that regard, but he is capable of having a positive impact. The 25-year-old has scored twelve goals and completed seven assists in 73 league appearances for Schalke 04. He is not a prolific scorer by any means, but he is capable of scoring a handful of goals every season and enjoys creating chances for those around him. With the Magpies’ front-three struggling to score goals, any help from midfield is welcomed.

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Confrontational Midfielder

Most Premier League midfielders stand in front of the player they are marking and react to the movement of the ball, but Bentaleb is not that type of player. The Algerian is an aggressive midfielder who looks to close gaps between himself and the player on the ball immediately. Bentaleb’s strength enables him to win the majority of duels he is involved in. The negative aspect of being an aggressive player is that Bentaleb tends to see the yellow card raised far too often, but at least fans know that most players will not get around him in the middle of the park.