Arteta spotted talking to Arsenal transfer target after AC Milan friendly, he would be an ideal signing

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was captured talking to transfer target Ismael Bennacer after the Gunners' 2-1 win over AC Milan in the Dubai Super Cup.

Arteta's side made it two wins out of two in Dubai, having defeated Lyon 3-0 on Thursday.

Goals from Martin Odegaard and Reiss Nelson helped the Gunners to success against the reigning Serie A champions, who pulled one back through Fikayo Tomori in the 77th minute.

They then prevailed 4-3 on penalties to secure the extra point, having already been crowned as Dubai Super Cup champions.

It was a relatively tense game for a friendly, with Gunners captain Odegaard notably unhappy with a challenge put in by Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali on Fabio Vieira.

But Arsenal got the job done, and will now look to increase their preparations for the return of Premier League action. The Gunners face West Ham on Boxing Day.

Meanwhile, the January transfer window is only weeks away - and one Gunners fan spotted Arteta interacting with one of the club's reported targets after the Milan game was over.

Arteta talks to Bennacer

Arsenal fan @iOkmm on Twitter posted a post-match clip showing Bennacer meeting up with Arteta on the pitch.

The pair can then be seen engaging in a brief conversation, although it is unknown what was said during the interaction.

سام ويلسون أخذ بن ناصر إلى أرتيتا
Agent Sam Wilson taking Bennacer to Arteta pic.twitter.com/AU8UzsCQJJ

— 14 (@iOkmm) December 13, 2022

Gunners fans were quick to react to the clip, with one fan simply stating: "Bring him home."

Bennacer played for Arsenal between 2015 and 2017, with Arteta part of the first team squad for some of that time, but the Algerian only made one League Cup appearance during that time before moving to Serie B side Empoli.

He then earned a move to Milan, where he has established himself as one of the top deep-lying midfielders in Europe.

His contract at San Siro expires in the summer of 2024, and he is yet to commit to new terms.

Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb reported on Saturday that Arsenal are interested in re-signing a player they sold for just £1 million, but add that Milan are ready to present the player with a new contract offer that would keep him at the club until 2027.

Bennacer, described as 'very good' by Gunners legend Thierry Henry earlier this year, would provide extra depth in midfield at Arsenal, and challenge current starting XI incumbents Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka. The Algerian could complement the latter, in particular, perfectly, given Xhaka's increased responsibility going forward this season.