Bentaleb, 25, left Spurs in 2016 and quickly established himself as a regular in Germany.

However, the Algeria international has not featured for Schalke since April, having been dropped for alleged unprofessional behaviour. 

He has now signed for Newcastle on loan until the end of the season with an option to make the deal permanent, becoming Steve Bruce's first signing of the January transfer window.

"I'm very happy to come back to the Premier League, especially with a club such as Newcastle," Bentaleb told Newcastle's official website.

"The project really interested me. I wanted absolutely to come back to the Premier League. The coach had some trust in me and the club also – I saw that straight away – and I think it's the perfect move for me."

Bentaleb made 97 appearances in total for Schalke across three and a half seasons with the club, scoring 19 goals.

Newcastle is also reportedly in talks with Inter for wide player Valentino Lazaro, while Bruce indicated Jetro Willems' season-ending knee injury may mean they look to bring in a left-back.