Newcastle should pick up Bentaleb’s option to buy
With a reasonable fee, Newcastle United should make Nabil Bentaleb’s move permanent this summer.
One of the three loanees signed in January, Nabil Bentaleb has brought a different dimension to the central midfield. The Algerian international has appeared in six matches for Newcastle United since arriving on loan with an option to buy from Schalke. The option to buy for Newcastle is rumored to be £8.5 million and I think Newcastle United should exercise that option this summer.
While Bentaleb hasn’t been in full form yet for the Magpies, he has shown flashes of what he can add to the midfield. He’s arguably the best dribbler in the group of midfielders and he isn’t afraid to push the ball forward or go in for a physical tackle.
He’s only 25 years old and he’s played more than 60 matches in both the Bundesliga and Premier League. In his nearly 100 matches for Schalke, he registered 19 goals and nine assists. Before making the move to Germany, he was a promising young player for Spurs. He actually scored his lone Tottenham goal against Newcastle United back in the League Cup in 2014-15.
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For less than 10 million, Newcastle could add a proven midfielder that’s still in his prime. Whether Steve Bruce plays two or three central midfielders, Bentaleb can pair with Jonjo Shelvey and/or Isaac Hayden and provides a two-way approach that none of the other midfielders bring to the table. He also has the ability to provide long-distance shooting to a club that lacks goalscoring. It would be a frugal business move for the Magpies to extend Bentaleb’s stay in the black and white.