Liverpool ‘carefully monitoring’ £45m star after surprise update this week

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Liverpool are reportedly keeping tabs on AC Milan midfielder Ismael Bennacer’s contract situation after rumours emerged this week that the Algerian is set to sign a new deal with the Rossoneri.

According to CalcioMercato, the Reds are ‘carefully monitoring’ the former Arsenal academy star after Gazzetta dello Sport reported earlier this week that Bennacer is close to signing a new long-term contract with Milan, with Liverpool interested in the midfielder ahead of the January window.

With a valuation of €50m (£45m) according to CalcioMercatoWeb, Bennacer would have been quite the deal for Liverpool in January, with Jurgen Klopp’s side keen on signing a midfielder next month as the Reds look to solve some of their issues in the squad.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Naby Keita are expected to leave next summer at the end of their contracts, whilst injury problems to Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara continue to cause Liverpool problems.

As a result, midfielders are firmly on Liverpool’s agenda for 2023, and Bennacer would be a great addition for the Merseyside club, with the 25-year-old a key part of Milan’s title-winning squad last season as the Rossoneri won the Scudetto for the first time in over a decade.

Indeed, Bennacer signing for Liverpool would have been a major move for the Reds. However, given the news this week that the Algerian international is set to pen a new deal with Milan, the chances of the midfielder leaving the San Siro now feel slim at best.

Liverpool should focus on other targets with Bennacer set to sign Milan contract

Bennacer to Liverpool is a great move on paper, with the Milan star a sensational player who could provide the Reds with a lot of what they’ve been missing in recent months due to injury problems. However, Klopp would be wise to focus on other targets ahead of the January window.

After all, it seems fairly clear that Bennacer is set to sign a new contract with Milan, and for Liverpool, their time and resources would be better spent looking at other players in the market as Klopp and his team look to solve one of their main problems in January.