Arsenal and Liverpool could now have only nine days to sign Ismael Bennacer before facing an increased asking price. AC Milan are eager to get the midfielder to sign a new contract.
That is according to Calciomercato, which reports Rossoneri chiefs want Bennacer to sign new terms before the year is over. Technical director Paolo Maldini is also pushing the 25-year-old to agree to include an improved release clause in a new deal that will run to 2027.
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Bennacer has already agreed to pen new terms running to 2027 if the club improves their offer of personal terms. But marginal differences in valuations remained following Maldini and sporting director Frederic Massara speaking to his agent, Enzo Raiola, this Wednesday.
Maldini and Massara are optimistic that their summit with Raiola can see Bennacer renew before the turn of the year. So much so that they have already scheduled fresh talks with the Algerian’s agent. Maldini also hopes to use the fresh meeting to debate his release clause.
Bennacer currently has a €50m (£44m) release clause in his contract with AC Milan, which expires in 2024. The Rossoneri will not remove a break clause in his new terms, either. But Maldini is keen to convince the 40-cap midfielder and Raiola to now insert a higher figure.
Arsenal and Liverpool are interested in Bennacer amid his AC Milan contract talks
If Bennacer and Raiola refuse to accept an increased release clause, AC Milan will agree to keep the current €50m (£44m) fee intact. But in doing so, the San Siro natives could leave themselves exposed to interest from the Premier League in the upcoming January market.
Reports by CalcioMercatoWeb recently suggested Arsenal and Chelsea are interested in a €50m (£44m) deal with AC Milan for Bennacer. While Corriere Della Serra had already put Liverpool in the mix, suggesting the Anfield hierarchy had submitted an offer of their own.
A move to Emirates Stadium would be a return to the north London club for Bennacer. He spent two seasons in the Gunners’ academy from 2015 to 2017 before joining Empoli. But Arsene Wenger only afforded him one first-team appearance in the EFL Cup back in 2015.
Wenger further never included Bennacer – who Calciomercato reports wants a €4.5m-a-year (£76k-a/w) contract but TuttoMercatoWEB notes AC Milan have only offered €4m-a-year (£67k-a/w) – in his Premier League, Champions League or FA Cup matchday squads.
Nonetheless, Wenger was full of praise for Bennacer back in 2017. The Gunners icon told Arsenal Player: “He’s a player who is not spectacular but a very efficient player. He’s the kind of player who, once you put him in the team, you don’t take him out anymore.
“He can defend very well, he’s a fighter, a left-footed player and very efficient going forward. He’s a real box-to-box player. He can do all kinds of jobs. He is still young, still lacks a little bit of experience but is a very promising player.”
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