On Friday, Schalke 04 confirmed the arrival of Benjamin Stambouli from Paris-Saint Germain.

The midfielder has signed a four-year deal at the Veltins-Arena, with the transfer fee - according to kicker - believed to be around €8.5m.

Stambouli could make his debut as soon as this Saturday, as the Royal Blues travel to Eintracht Frankfurt for their first game of the season.

A fresh start

After leaving Montpellier HSC, Stambouli endured a tough and testing time while with Tottenham Hotspur.

Despite playing almost every game in cup competitions, the 26-year-old struggled for game time in the Premier League and made just 12 appearances.

A move to the French capital followed and the midfielder managed to establish himself as a much more regular face in their squad.

For whatever reason, despite featuring 40 times across all competitions last term, he has fallen out of favour and is on the move once more.

Stambouli will be hoping to find favour with Markus Weinzierl and show just why he was so highly rated during his time with Montpeliier.

Stambouli in action for Paris-Saint Germain last season. | Image source: Le Parisien
Stambouli in action for Paris-Saint Germain last season. | Image source: Le Parisien

Increasing competition in the middle

Stambouli represents a necessary addition to Weinzierl's squad, with a real lack of depth in central midfield.

As it stands, Johannes Geis and Leon Goretzka are the only two recognised first-team midfielders in the team.

Thilo Kehrer and Christian Rubio Sivodedov have joined as promising youngsters, but the Frenchman will ease a few worries any Schalke supporters may have had.

Stambouli has been joined in Gelsenkirchen by Nabil Bentaleb, on a season-long loan, in a bid to step up their transfer dealings before the window shuts in less than a week.

They will now link up with Breel Embolo, Coke, Naldo and Abdul Baba Rahman as the new arrivals at Schalke this summer.

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About the author
Jonathan Walsh
SoccerSight IFA commentator. VAVEL deputy editor-in-chief/VAVEL Bundesliga editor-in-chief and writer. Email: [email protected]