Marseille doubts over €15m buy option for Milan loanee | OneFootball

Marseille are unconvinced about paying the buy option in their loan deal with Milan for midfielder Ismael Bennacer, which could see the Algeria international end up back in San Siro for pre-season.

Bennacer joined Marseille on loan from Milan right at the end of the winter transfer window, which cleared the space in the squad for the arrival of Warren Bondo from Monza on deadline day.

Bennacer is currently on loan with Marseille until the end of the 2024-25 season, which cost them around €1m. The deal also includes an option to buy for €12m plus €3m in bonuses, which might not be activated according to reports in France and Italy.

Why Marseille are unsure about signing Bennacer permanently from Milan

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – JANUARY 03: Ismael Bennacer of AC Milan runs with the ball during the Italian Super Cup Semi-Final match between AC Milan and Juventus at Al Awwal Park on January 03, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Abdullah Ahmed/Getty Images)

According to updates from l’Equipe (via Calciomercato), Marseille are unsure about paying for the buy-option for Bennacer in their loan agreement with Milan for a number of different reasons.

The largest issue is the player’s salary, which Marseille would be willing to pay for a guaranteed starter, which is not currently the case.

Bennacer has made 12 appearances in Ligue 1 since his move at the beginning of February, eight of which as a starter, four of which were from the bench, on top of two games where he did not feature.

There are additional concerns over Bennacer’s injury record, given that he missed nine months with a knee injury in 2023 and another four months with a calf tear in 2024 prior to his Milan departure.

If Marseille decide against activating the buy option in their agreement for Bennacer, the Algerian is expected to report for pre-season training with Milan, where he has a contract that runs until June 2027.