Hotspur HQ
Fansided

What is Nabil Bentaleb’s Future with Tottenham?

By Alexander Balano

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 20 : Nabil Bentaleb of Tottenham Hotspur during the Emirates FA Cup match between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur at King Power Stadium on January 20, 2016 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
LEICESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 20 : Nabil Bentaleb of Tottenham Hotspur during the Emirates FA Cup match between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur at King Power Stadium on January 20, 2016 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Tottenham’s defensive midfield position is set with Eric Dier, but where does Nabil Bentaleb fit on this team?

After suffering another injury setback, this time to his left knee, one question needs to be asked about Nabil Bentaleb. Does he still have a future with Tottenham?

Related Story: Tottenham's Nabil Bentaleb is Out for Six Weeks

A year ago, Nabil Bentaleb’s future with Tottenham was never in question.

Fast forward to now and a lost season due to poor form and injuries (ankle and knee), and it seems like it’s unknown what the future holds in store for the Algerian international.

What is known, however, is that the road to recovery is the first step. After that, providing a challenge to Eric Dier will be next.

But seeing as how Dier has been a revelation at defensive midfield, Nabil Bentaleb has his work cut out for him to reclaim his position on the team. Taking a page out of Kyle Walker’s success this season is the blueprint to having a chance of staying with Tottenham for the future otherwise Bentaleb’s stay will be cut short.

BARCELONA,SPAIN – JANUARY 27: Nabil Bentaleb in action during day three of the Tottenham Hotspur Barcelona Training Camp at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on January 27, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
BARCELONA,SPAIN – JANUARY 27: Nabil Bentaleb in action during day three of the Tottenham Hotspur Barcelona Training Camp at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on January 27, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images) /

See, Walker had his fair share of knocks leading up to the 2015-16 season. When you add the arrival of Kieran Trippier (plus DeAndre Yedlin), a switch was flipped on in Walker’s head that made him want to prove to Mauricio Pochettino that he’s Tottenham’s best right-back.

Twenty-six appearances in the Premier League (28 in all competitions) and a recent call-up to the England senior squad is a clear indication that Kyle Walker has stepped up to the challenge.

There’s no doubt who is Spurs’ best right-back this season. Even with Trippier providing a good spark both offensively and defensively in his own right.

For Nabil Bentaleb, he unfortunately hasn’t been able to do this.

Being injured is one thing, but when he wasn’t, his form was completely off.

More from Hotspur HQ

Stalled contract talks with Tottenham didn’t help obviously. And while a five-year extension was reached in the end, perhaps Mauricio Pochettino was ready to move on deep down inside.

Seeing as how Eric Dier, originally a defensive midfielder with Sporting Lisbon, would transition from last season’s center-back/right-back spot to a midfield role during pre-season.

What started out as an experiment has now been a revelation. Tottenham who were selling midfielders and were now thin at the position, didn’t have a need to sign a defensive midfielder because Dier has panned out.

In order for Nabil Bentaleb to succeed like he did last season, he not only has to be fully fit but he also has to put in the work.

Kyle Walker has shown that injuries can hamper a player’s progress, but after recovering and having your starting job be in jeopardy, going out there and proving you’re still a starter can make players perform at a higher level.

Hopefully this is what happens with Bentaleb. At only 21-years-old and still having plenty of potential, there’s no reason why he can’t reclaim a spot on Mauricio Pochettino’s squad.

Right now though, the reality is that he is no longer a starter. Accepting that and moving on as a rotational player will go a long way for Nabil Bentaleb.

Because with 44 appearances in 46 games for Eric Dier this season, there’s no way that will be repeated next year. Meaning rest will be needed for Dier, giving Bentaleb the opportunity to return to the starting lineup.

Next: Wimmer Has Filled Vertonghen's Void Perfectly at Spurs

If, and this is a big if, the Algerian international’s form resembles the 2015-16 season and not the 2014-15 campaign. Then perhaps it’s best to move on entirely.

Cutting ties with a 21-year-old academy product is ruthless yes, but these kinds of decisions have helped Tottenham reach second in the Premier League. So right now, the results speak for themselves.

Home/Tottenham News