Reports from Portugal claim that Nabil Bentaleb could move to Benfica on a season-long loan.
Record have reported that Spurs are open to the idea of loaning Bentaleb to the Portuguese giants, who have a space in midfield to fill having sold Renato Sanches to Bayern Munich earlier this summer.
Bentaleb’s future has been the subject of much discussion following the decision to omit him from the Tottenham squad that has travelled to Australia for pre-season friendlies. Mauricio Pochettino seems to have a problem with Bentaleb, but though faith in the Argentine’s judgement is high, many are worried that Bentaleb’s talent could end up flourishing elsewhere.
With the Algerian having struggled with injuries and poor form last season, his stock has fallen and the chances of other teams paying big money for him have greatly reduced. A loan deal could give Bentaleb the chance to rebuild his reputation, perhaps impressing Pochettino enough to give him another chance, or increasing his price for a full transfer next summer.
Bentaleb has four years left on his contract, so Spurs can afford to let him play elsewhere for 12 months without hurting his value. A loan move to a top club like Benfica – where he would play Champions League football – could be the perfect solution, giving Tottenham the opportunity to put off a very tricky decision for another year.
