Arsenal to pocket nice windfall as midfielder nears AC Milan move

Oli Fisher
Ismael-Bennacer-teamtalk

Arsenal will received around £4.8m from Empoli’s sale of midfielder Ismael Bennacer to AC Milan in the coming days, a report claims.

Reports in Italy claim that AC Milan have agreed a £16m fee plus bonuses to sign Bennacer, who joined Empoli from Arsenal in 2017.

The Gunners included both a buy-back clause – something they were recently linked with triggering – and a 30% sell-on fee in that deal, and are thus in line to inadvertently boost their paltry £45m transfer budget.

The midfielder made just one appearance in all competitions for Arsenal’s senior side, but has gone on to be a big success with the Tuscany side.

Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio says Bennacer is ‘one step closer’ to joining Milan after talks were held between the two Serie A clubs on Thursday.

SempreMilan.com’s Vito Angele adds that ‘everything is now in place’ for the deal to go through for a player Arsenal themselves reportedly considered re-signing earlier this month.

Another positive of the deal in an Arsenal respect is that Milan are now unlikely to continue in their pursuit of Lucas Torreira.

Calciomercato suggest that Bennacer is the ‘alternative piece for the Giampaolo puzzle’ after Torreira’s price proved too inhibitive.

 

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