London – Injury-hit Newcastle United have signed Algeria international midfielder Nabil Bentaleb on loan till the end of the season from Bundesliga side Schalke 04 with an option to make the move permanent.
No financial details were given but a report said the deal would cost Newcastle United around 850,000 pounds (1.11 million dollars) with the option set at 8.5 million dollars.
The 25-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur player told the Newcastle United website he was happy to be returning to English football.
“I wanted absolutely to come back to the English Premier League (EPL). 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,” he said.
Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce said he had followed Bentaleb, who was dropped from the Schalke 04 first team for disciplinary reasons last March, from the player’s time at Spurs.
“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,” he said.
“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 04 and played in the UEFA Champions League as well. So, we’re delighted to get him. It’s a great signing.”
Newcastle United are 12th in the league but have nine players injured.
Bruce said on Monday that centre-back Paul Dummett and on-loan left back Jetro Willems were out for the rest of the season.
The manager remained hopeful the club could complete a loan deal for Inter Milan winger Valentino Lazaro this week.
(Reuters/NAN)
