Official: Ismael Bennacer joins Marseille on loan with option to buy deal | OneFootball

The deadline day business keeps rolling in for AC Milan as the exit of Ismael Bennacer to Marseille on a loan with option to buy deal has been confirmed.

It has been a rollercoaster day generally for Milan, with Bennacer’s situation right as the centre of it. Calciomercato.com stated that the issue had provoked ‘tension’ because Milan were unhappy with the timing of Marseille’s approach and that Bennacer made it clear he wanted to leave.

They had to scramble for a replacement and got one in Warren Bondo. Fabrizio Romano gave Bennacer to Marseille deal his famous ‘here we go!’ stamp. It is a verbal agreement in place with Milan over a €1m loan fee plus an €12m option to buy clause which is not mandatory.

A statement on the Marseille website reads as follows: “OM is pleased to announce the signing of Ismaël Bennacer from AC Milan. The 27-year-old Algerian international midfielder has signed a loan with an option to buy with the Olympian club after successfully passing his medical.

“Born in the heart of Bouches-du-Rhône in the city of Arles, Ismaël Bennacer began his professional career in his training club AC Arles-Avignon in January 2015. He was quickly spotted by scouts from the London club Arsenal – a club he joined in the summer of 2015 – who detected in him his ability to repeat efforts and his sense of combat. A hard-working midfielder but also skilled with his left foot, the Provençal decided to sign on loan with Tours FC in the winter of 2017.

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“After a successful experience with the Tours team, Ismaël Bennacer decided to fly to Italy to join Empoli FC. With the Azzurri jersey, the Algerian learned the Italian tactical rigor and expanded his footballing repertoire, making him a true complete midfielder, as useful for recovery as for projection forward. Author of two successful seasons and winner of a Serie B title, he caught the eye of AC Milan, who decided to bet on the young 21-year-old midfielder and recruit him in the summer of 2019.

“With the San Siro residents, the Arlesian reached a new level in his career and discovered the joys of the European Cups in which he played more than 30 matches and acquired experience of very high-level matches, notably reaching the semi-final stage of the Champions League during the 2022/23 campaign. During five and a half seasons under the Rossonere colors, the tireless midfielder counted 178 matches, won a Scudetto as well as a Supercoppa.

“A true leader of the Fennecs with 50 caps, this OM supporter since his early childhood also has an impressive record with the Algerian team, winning the African Cup of Nations in 2019 and even being named best player in the competition at just 21 years old.”