In a recent report, Calciomercato mentioned that Arsenal have set their sights on AC Milan midfielder Ismael Bennacer. It is believed that the Gunners are prepared to pay €40m to acquire the services of the Algeria international this summer.
Bennacer’s Impressive Numbers At San Siro Last Season
The 24-year-old had a decent campaign at San Siro as he managed to put in a lot of solid displays at the centre of Milan’s midfield. Bennacer scored two goals and picked up one assist in 40 matches for his current employers last season in multiple competitions.
The France-born midfield ace gave a good account of himself by averaging 1.4 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, 0.7 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per 90 minutes in Serie A. He even took care of the ball well when distributing possession from midfield after making 87.7% of his attempted passes in the Italian first division (stats via whoscored).
What Will Bennacer Add To Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta’s Side?
Bennacer doesn’t shy away from making a tackle and can read the danger quickly to earn the ball back for his side at the centre of the park. He usually offers decent protection for his teammates at the back and can even unlock the opponent’s defence with a killer pass in the final third. Bennacer is primarily a defensive midfielder but can even serve as an attacking midfielder if required.
The 39-time Algeria international can even make a few clever runs with the ball towards the opponent’s penalty box. Therefore, we can expect Bennacer to add some energy and dynamism to Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta‘s midfield if the Gunners can devise a way to secure his signature this summer.
There is no doubt that the Algeria international is good enough to increase competition for places within Arteta’s squad. He could even go on to form a solid midfield partnership with Thomas Partey at the Emirates Stadium in the coming seasons.
At 24, Bennacer’s prime years are ahead of him which makes him a good option for Arsenal to pursue in this off-season. However, only time will tell whether the Milan talent can make a smooth transition to life in English football.
