Tottenham Hotspur are a team on the rise as there is absolutely no doubt on the perception that have been inking their name as a prospective candidate for a top-four spot. Mauricio Pochettino has transformed the club from the status of a perennially underachieving side into world-beaters and have been taking marauding steps to ensure a stronghold in the top tier of English football. But, in their aspirations to beef up their setup time and again, have they committed a massive blunder of late by vehemently overlooking their Nabil Bentaleb?
Bentaleb burst to the scene when Tim Sherwood was in charge of the North London based outfit, and eventually cemented his role under Pochettino. However, his injury woes at the start of last season didn’t help his cause at it coincided with the rise of Eric Dier and the renaissance of Moussa Dembele, which pushed him below in the pecking order. Eventually, he was shipped to FC Schalke 04 in the summer transfer window because of the interest shown by the Bundesliga side.
However, his loan deal got the green signal to be converted into a permanent move in the summer, implying that one of the most technically gifted players Spurs have produced is shown the exit door of the White Hart Lane. Under the reign of Markus Weinzierl, the Algerian international has accumulated 19 appearances for Schalke, scoring 4 goals, creating 21 chances and no wonder he has quickly established himself as a valued commodity at the Veltins-Arena. So the question as to whether Pochettino has made a blunder by allowing a permanent switch does linger.
Bentaleb is a formidable defensive midfielder who is strong, cultivates deep contest and creates pockets of spaces for his teammates with his delightful runs. Time and again, he has displayed that he has enormous stamina and what makes his so special is his ability to find short as well as the long passes so neatly. He did fit well in Spurs’ midfield and had shown a great degree of professionalism by thumping a mark for the Royal Blues.
Speaking in an unabashed manner, the 22-year-old midfielder is seemingly likely to thrive in the Bundesliga but more than anything else, Spurs are indeed the ones to who will lose a player. He could have been an ideal cover for Dembele and given his age, potential and class, he could have been an ideal servant for the Lilywhites in the coming years. Bentaleb should have been backed properly and after a decent loan spell in the first half of the season, selling him is unlikely to be a very prudent decision from Tottenham Hotspur.
Statistics Credits: Squawka.
