Newcastle United have completed the signing of Algeria international midfielder, Nabil Bentaleb from Schalke 04 on loan for the rest of the season, with an option to make the deal permanent.
The 25-year-old, who previously played for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, represented his country at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2015 and 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.
Speaking shortly after he was unveiled, Bentaleb told nufc.co.uk: “I’m very happy to come back to the Premier League, especially with a club such as Newcastle.
“The project really interested me. I wanted absolutely to come back to the Premier League. The coach had some trust in me and the club also – I saw that straight away – and I think it’s the perfect move for me.”
While Manager of the Magpies, Steve Bruce gave his thoughts after the Algerian was presented to the media: “He’s somebody who I paid particular attention to when he was at Spurs, when he broke through and got a big money move to Germany.
“He’s played at the highest level now for the last four or five years but he will come in hungry and feeling he has something to prove and will give us the competition we obviously need.
“With the numbers that we’ve got at the minute, he’s got a bit of experience and I think people will enjoy watching him play. He’ll come into the squad and I’m sure he’ll be a good acquisition for us.
“The fact that he’s played in the Premier League before helps, because we know that he can play and knows what the demands of the Premier League are. He’s gone from the Premier League to Schalke and played in the Champions League as well, so we’re delighted to get him. It’s a great signing.”
Bentaleb made 66 appearances while with Tottenham and scored his only goal against Newcastle United in a League Cup tie in December 2014 – before making the move to Schalke in the German Bundesliga in August 2016.
He has made 97 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit scoring 19 goals in the process.
