Everton are one of several Premier League clubs to have been offered a January deal to sign FC Schalke 04 midfielder Nabil Bentaleb, according to The Times.
The Bundesliga outfit are attempting to part ways with the Algeria international during the mid-season market, having made the former Tottenham Hotspur man available for a transfer after off-the-field issues at the Gelsenkirchen side.
Bentaleb has not been seen as a crucial part of the Veltins Arena natives’ first-string for the past year due to what Schalke deemed to be unprofessional behaviour, including a failure to report for German lessons.
Tottenham sold Bentaleb to Schalke for an alleged £17.1milllion in 2017 after the 25-year-old spent a year on loan with Die Konigsblauen, though plying his trade with Spurs in the Premier League has always remained the midfielder’s preferred career path.
A route back to the North Londoners may not be forthcoming for the time being, but the English game remains where Bentaleb is raring to play, and his services are said to have been offered to several Premier League sides including Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and the Toffees.
Palace are not believed to be interested in a deal for the 35-cap central midfielder, who has not represented Algeria since 2018, though Villa’s nor our response to Schalke’s offer is noted.
Bentaleb has not made a single appearance under former Huddersfield Town head coach David Wagner since the 48-year-old’s appointment at the Veltins Arena helm last summer, with the £4.5m-rated midfielder’s sole appearances in 2019/20 coming in the Regionalliga West for Schalke’s second string.
Would you back a move to sign Bentaleb in January?
Yes
Yes, on loan
No
Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti could do with some midfield reinforcements this month, having taken over with Andre Gomes (ankle) and Jean-Philippe Gbamin (quadriceps) both long-term absentees, and Alex Iwobi (hamstring) also in the physio’s room facing an uncertain spell out of the side.
There is also bound to be concerns at Finch Farm over Fabian Delph’s future at the club, after the £10m midfielder appeared to become embroiled in a spat with supporters on social media.
Then we have Morgan Schneiderlin, who reportedly has been included in a clutch of senior players that Ancelotti is keen to sell in January, alongside former club-record signing Gylfi Sigurdsson.
In other Everton news, the club have sounded out the chances of signing a £40.5m-rated striker, who’s scored 21 goals in 22 games this season.