Arsenal could be prepared to place a £34 million bid on AC Milan’s Ismaël Bennacer, as their hunt for a new midfielder continues.
The Gunners have been in the market for midfield reinforcements this summer, with the club’s reported interest ranging from Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans to Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from Lazio.
The latest rumours place the North Londoners on Milan’s radar as they weigh up a move for their former player.
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According to CalcioMercatoWeb.it, Arsenal are ready to test the Serie A champions’ resolve with a bid for the midfielder.
Following the exit of Franck Kessié to Barcelona on a free transfer, however, Milan will be keen to keep hold of the 24-year-old for another season.
Despite appearing in 31 league games last season, the French-born Algeria international was overshadowed by a talent-laden midfield duo of Sandro Tonali and Kessié in the Serie A giant’s title-winning campaign - their first since 2011.
The ‘Rossoneri’ are now keen to build on their success this summer as the papers link them to likes of Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech and the highly-rated Charles De Ketelaere from Club Brugge.
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Milan’s fresh ventures in the market may make a transfer for Bennacer more accessible, according to the same report, as they aim to balance the books.
Should Arsenal lodge a £34 million bid, in Calcio Mercato’s words, it “could cause AC Milan to waver”.
Bennacer joined the Gunners back in 2015 from AC Arlésien at the age of 17 before enjoying a loan spell with Ligue 2 outfit Tours FC.
The midfielder was moved on for under £1 million just two years later, swapping London for Florence in a switch to Empoli.
Having starred for the ‘Azzurri’ in both the Italian Serie B and Serie A in successive seasons, Bennacer found himself on Milan’s shopping list, joining for £15 million in 2019.
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The deep-lying-playmaker starred when called upon alongside Tonali and the now-departed Kessié en route to the Rossoneri’s 19th Serie A title.
Now entering his fourth season at the San Siro, Bennacer has just two years left on his current deal, expiring at the end of the 2023/24 season.
Patrick Ribeiro