It was always going to happen, and it finally has: Nabil Bentaleb has left Tottenham and will be joining Schalke 04 in the summer.
The midfielder, who had been at White Hart Lane since 2012, fell out of favour last season under Mauricio Pochettino following a few injuries, and was subsequently loaned out to the German side for the season.
The transfer will take place at the end of the season, and will see the 22-year-old sign a four-year contract with the Bundesliga side.
It seems, however, that even before the transfer was agreed, the Tottenham player wanted to leave White Hart Lane, as explained by his comments on Schalke’s website.
He said: “When I came to Schalke in the summer, my aim was to play as much as possible and persuade the club to make the transfer permanent. Things have worked out brilliantly and I am thrilled.
“It is great to have the feeling that you are trusted by the club: the coaching staff, my team-mates, the higher-ups and everyone here have made it really easy to feel at home at S04. I am very happy to be a part of this team.”
It seems ‘trust’ was the key here, something he appeared to have lost at Tottenham, at least from Mauricio Pochettino.
The midfielder has made 27 appearances for Schalke this season, becoming a key member of their team in the process, scoring five goals and picking up five assists along the way.
