From Algeria: Bennacer changes agent to secure PL move – Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal keen

By Oliver Fisher -

Ismael Bennacer has changed agent in a bid to secure a move away from AC Milan in the coming months, according to a report.

Daniele Longo of Calciomercato.com reported a ‘sensational twist’ in the situation involving Bennacer and his future this morning, because the 24-year-old left his agent Sissoko a month and a half ago and was speaking directly with Paolo Maldini about his renewal, having now chosen Enzo Raiola as his new representative.

According to the sources of Algérie Football Média, Bennacer has indeed changed agent in recent weeks and has signed power of attorney to Rafaela Pimenta, who took over from Mino Raiola after his passing.

They claim that Bennacer will not extend his contract and will leave Milan in summer 2023 with three clubs in the Premier League interested: Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.

The former Empoli man has a preference as he wants to go to a London club, with Chelsea or Arsenal therefore in the lead, but they claim ‘his decision is made’ as he ‘will leave Serie A for the Premier League next June’.

Tags AC Milan Ismaël Bennacer

32 Comments

  1. thats why he was dragging his feet over renewals. he may be thinking its time for a huge payday. a player of is caliber will easily earn 6-7m.
    hope we sell for a good price and get a proper replacement.

  2. I was saying we’ll probably lose either Leao or Isma, there was very slim chance we would keep both. That being said, now I’m not so sure we’ll be able to keep either.

    We’re dragging our feet with the new stadium and without it, we can’t even begin to earn anything close to what PL clubs are making, which means, we can’t compete with them in the market. That is the sad reality of Milan and Italian football in general right now. Without new stadiums, without a serious reform of Serie A, we’ll never be able to compete with PL and PL clubs.

    1. And the fact that Italian bureau seems make it difficult not gonna help also, no investors wanted to invest in Italy anymore if this crap keep goes on.

    2. We’re only sticking with Milan so far because of sentiment wrt the stadium. Otherwise Sesto is available right now. There’s no need to linger with Milan’s council, so it really has to be sentimental values that are keeping them waiting on this process. My guess is that Cardinale and co aren’t as patient as their predecessors. Hope I’m correct.. it’s almost like “do u want an old decrepit structure in the middle of the city or do u want us to build elsewhere? “

  3. This is why it’s going to be impossible for Milan to go up another level. As soon as a player looks good bids will come in from England, Spain or PSG and the only hope we have of keeping them is if they genuinely love the club. Tonali and Calabria are they only 2 players I can see being at Milan a long time. All the rest of our promising/ good players will leave and we’ll have to start over again and again.

    1. need to get some more promising italian players as they’re less likely to leave like everyone else. I don’t see Tonali, Calbria or Gabbia jumping ship so easily.

  4. One player leaving doesn’t stop Milan from being Milan! Whether it’s true or not, I do know that Milan will not be any less Milan because a player left. My only wish is that we get something from him if truly he wants to leave. Grass ain’t always greener on the other side y’all.

    1. Given them helluva lot of money, that’s what! They should show some goddamn respect for all the crappy players Milan have paid for!!!

  5. AC must stop losing players for free, and start selling for good fees. Napoli, Roma, is in the same situation, still they sell.
    If Leao and Bennacer are unhappy: excellent, don’t lose time, sell now for higher fee and invest money properly. Still Milan can be competitive in Serie A for 4 place. During time can create core of players who gonna play for AC and regular payment and not to be overpaid.

  6. So basically, Milan and Maldini can only re-sign and keep those players that no other club wants, with the exception of Theo.
    If there is a club out there that wants one of our players, that player is good as gone. We just hope those players will be sold instead of allowed to leave for free, which has been Maldini MO up to this point.

      1. Kalulu resigned for only 2 million a year. If he had admirers, he would have been gone if they offered him more money.
        Have you ever heard any rumor about any team wanting Tomori?
        Outside of serie A no one pays attention to Tomori.
        There was a rumor about Tonali and Arsenal, but it’s very unlikely for Tonali to ever leave Italy as 99% of Italian players don’t leave serie A and almost all that leave flop outside of Italy

        1. ” Milan and Maldini can only re-sign and keep those players that no other club wants, with the exception of Theo.”

          Well… That’s what YOU said. And Arsenal DID want Tonali. No matter if he “would flop outside of Italy” as that was not on debate.

        2. “Kalulu resigned for only 2 million a year. If he had admirers, he would have been gone if they offered him more money.”

          And you know this for a fact as you’re friends with Kalulu and he has said it to you? 🙂 LOL.

  7. Well he did wanted to renew since jan 2022 till April but we went quiet. Since then its been catch and mouse game. Sell him next summer and get new guy in…losing two players like kessie and isma will weaken us but thats how it goes…we will rise up when new players gel we should have gone for kamara back then he was leaving marseille for free….there are may out there though…

  8. Welp, it was a good run. He did well as a Milan player so I have no complaints there and he helped us win a scudetto. Always puts his all. With our wage budget we’re unable to keep top players. Plain and simple. We’re the win with low budget team like Arsenal and Atalanta .

  9. Not surprised. This is what happens when you drag negotiations out and nickel and dime our best players. Unfortunately it shows you don’t value them that highly and allows for other clubs to swoop in and make a better offer. Benny asked for a reasonable 4M season many months ago. We should have said yes straight away and put the contract in front of him to sign that same day. Instead we said we will only go to 3.2M and stayed at that position for like 6 months? Well this is what happens. Horrible if we lose him. You would think we learned our lesson – but apparently not. I love M&M – along with Moncada – excellent scouts of talent. However, the negotiation skills of M&M have to be put in question. Not every deal should be drawn out and slow played. If there is a great deal, jump on it. No reason to wait. Benny at 4M should have been offered many months ago especially after we lost our starting DM in Kessie. After that we lost leverage to hardball Benny. Same with Leao at 7M IMO. Should have offered him that 6 months ago signed the deal for another 5 years – then sell later if needed. Now we will lose both I’m afraid because waiting doesn’t always pay off. We will see what happens but this does not look good at all.

    1. Exactly this. This is how every Milan negotiation has gone. They low ball offer and drag it out for months, annoying the player, then other teams see this and drop in with better offers. Same thing they did with Kessie, same as they are doing with Leao. Let’s face it Milan’s negotiations have been a disaster. Letting Gigi, Hakan and Kessie leave for free. Now they are going to lose Bennacer and Leao. What is the point of developing good young players if you are just going to le them leave when they reach their potential. Are we a farm team now for the big clubs? Not to mention the terrible signings that M&M have made. Bakayoko, Dest, Adli, CDK, Origi, Ballo-toure. Maldini is over his head here.

  10. Surprise Surprise !!!
    Paolo “The Negotiator” Maldini about to lose another high caliber player because of lack of urgency in the matter. Every negotiation, being for re-signing players or transfers is dragged out for months and years. The man negotiated his own contract for over a month last summer and lost Milan valuable time during the transfer market window.
    His incompetence will be felt long-term. For now, everything is masked because of the scudetto win ( most players were brought in by other sporting directors) and the poor state of Juventus and Inter. The quality of the squad has been weakened every summer in the last 2 years with Maldini in charge.

  11. the new club owner doesn’t have the money, as simple as that.
    the club can’t buy good players and can’t pay players wages demand, because they don’t have the money.
    only plan, plan, and plan.. long term plan without any short-term plan.
    for those who blame Maldini for re-signing players, what agreement can be made if the club gives you a salary limit on players?
    paying the players salary from Maldini’s own pocket?
    and for why he’s dragging his own contract last summer, because he wants to know first what the new owner intentions are

  12. Journalists make a living from this, from continually inventing ‘sensational twists’, my friends. Yesterday the guy said X, today he’s already saying Y, and tomorrow he’ll probably say Z. That’s why, in my view, the press in general doesn’t deserve any credit.

  13. “In the next few weeks ‘there will be a meeting with Enzo Raiola’ but at the moment it seems the change in agent is not a ‘negative turn’ but rather has a ‘positive meaning’.

    Moreover, Milan ‘still have optimism for the successful outcome of the negotiation’ and ‘unequivocal signals’ have arrived from Bennacer, so the percentages of reaching an agreement are higher than him leaving.”

    *

    From the same guy, just a few hours earlier.

    See what I’m talking about? These ‘insiders’ are a joke.

  14. What will he say next, what will be the next sensational revelation, the next shocking news? “Bennacer surprises everyone and decides to play for an Algerian club”?

  15. What’s the point of not giving 6 million,6 million if he stays for 5 years(probably not)30 million.A replacement will cost 20-25 million plus 5 years of wages,and unless he is sold in January we will lose him and leao for peanuts

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