Newcastle could be offered ex-Mag on a free – but Jetro Willems return in doubt – Report

Former Toon flop Nabil Bentaleb could be offered back to us for NOTHING in January, according to The Chronicle.

The Algerian international had an underwhelming stint on Tyneside, joining the club on loan at the start of the year and failing to impress during his short time here.

Since returning to Schalke, Bentaleb has fallen out with manager Manuel Baum and is now being forced to train with the reserves – at a club that currently sits rock bottom of the Bundesliga.

Surprisingly, The Chronicle state that Bruce remains ‘a fan’ of the player, but it remains to be seen if we’d bring him back – even on a free – with him out of sorts and on big wages.

Another Toon loanee who has been strongly linked with a return in recent times is fan favourite Jetro Willems.

In the same article, Mark Douglas suggests a potential move for the full back is unlikely due to the question marks over his fitness, with the club preferring players who can come in straight away and make an impact.

Both players’ contracts run out at the end of the season so would do little to no dent in our transfer budget. Perhaps we will wait to see if the Dutchman proves his fitness and then look to sign him for nothing next summer if he does?

Willems would be a quality addition to the squad but I believe that there are much better options to bring in than Bentaleb, who has failed at every club he has been at in his career.

He is no better than what we currently have at our disposal. For what it’s worth, he always comes across as a bad egg as well, and will hardly be match fit after sitting in the sin bin for Schalke reserves. There doesn’t seem to be any positives to bringing him in other than the fact that he is cheap. Pay peanuts, get monkeys!

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