Schalke coach Markus Weinzierl has praised Tottenham loanee Nabil Bentaleb, but did not confirm the Royal Blues have already triggered an option to buy the midfielder permanently.
Bentaleb, 21, joined the Schalke on a season-long loan from Spurs shortly before the start of the Bundesliga season and has scored three goals in 11 appearances across all competitions and set up one more in the league. Last weekend, Bentaleb's brace helped Schalke to an important 3-0 win against Mainz.
According to reports in Germany this week, Schalke included an option to buy Bentaleb for around €20 million next summer, and the player apparently has already agreed a four-year deal at the Veltins Arena should the club decide to trigger the clause.