According to reports from The Telegraph this morning, three top European clubs are tracking Tottenham youngster Nabil Bentaleb – including local rivals Arsenal.
The Algeria international broke into Spurs’ starting Xi under Tim Sherwood last season and he’s since gone on to make 55 appearances in all competitions for the north Londoners, including 41 outings in the Premier League.
The 20 year-old has impressed in midfield alongside Ryan Mason this season, proving to be Mauricio Pochettino’s preferred choice over the more experienced likes of Moussa Dembele, Paulinho and Etienne Capoue, averaging 2.3 tackles and 2.5 interceptions per match whilst recording a pass completion rate of 87%.
>>> Win FREE Tickets to N5L in London and Birmingham <<<
And despite three years remaining on his current deal, Bentaleb is hoping his strong 2014/15 campaign will result in an improved contract. Talks over a new deal have been ongoing for some time already.
“I give everything on the pitch,” he said. “I’ve been working really hard and it’s normal for me to want to get rewarded. We’ve been negotiating for nearly nine months now, since September, and it’s getting really long and, of course, I’m getting a little bit tired of it.”
And The Telegraph suggest interest in the White Hart Lane academy product from rival clubs could force the Lilywhites to speed up the negotiating process. According to the British newspaper, Arsenal, Juventus and PSG have all scouted the midfielder this season.