Official: Milan part company with long-term absentee Bennacer

Official: Milan part company with long-term absentee Bennacer Milan have officially confirmed that they have parted company with midfielder Ismael Bennacer, who has not turned out for the Rossoneri in a competitive fixture since 2024. Official: Bennacer leaves Milan by mutual consent The club confirmed that they had reached a mutual agreement to terminate the Algeria international’s contract in a brief statement that read: “AC Milan can confirm the termination of Ismael Bennacer’s contract by mutual consent. The club would like to wish him all the best for the future.” 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) Bennacer has been on Milan’s books for the last seven years having joined in a €16m deal from Empoli in the summer of 2019. He racked up 178 competitive appearances for the Rossoneri, including 137 in Serie A. He was a regular in the Milan midfield when the team won the Scudetto under Stefano Pioli in 2021-22, appearing in 31 league matches in the title-winning campaign. A serious injury to his knee at the end of the 2022-23 season, however, was the beginning of the end of Bennacer’s San Siro career. epa11804086 Ismael Bennacer (L) in action against Juventus’ Manuel Locatelli (R) during the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final match between Juventus FC and AC Milan, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 03 January 2025. EPA-EFE/STR He eventually returned to action in December of 2023 and went on to make 20 appearances in Serie A in 2023-24, most of which came off the bench. He was then allowed to leave on loan to join Marseille midway through the 2024-25 campaign and then to join Dinamo Zagreb in the Croatian top flight for the 2025-26 season. Recent reports have claimed that he could now be on his way over to Qatar to join Al-Gharafa.