Tottenham outcast Bentaleb close to joining Schalke

Matt Stead

Schalke are understood to be close to striking a deal for Tottenham midfielder Nabil Bentaleb.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has made it clear Bentaleb does not feature in his plans at White Hart Lane.

Tottenham value the 21-year-old at around £15million, but the Schalke could sign the Algeria international initially on loan with a view to making the deal permanent.

Bentaleb made only five appearances in the Premier League last term, and could be joined at the Bundesliga outfit by former Spurs flop Benjamin Stambouli.

Stambouli is set to join Schalke from French champions PSG.