Ismael Bennacer is currently experiencing a good patch of form for AC Milan and has established himself as one of the certainties of the midfield moving forward.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports how Bennacer has only actually made 13 starts out of his 28 appearances so far this season as he struggled with form and fitness, but the turning point came above all in the last three games against Inter and Sampdoria in the league plus Lazio in the Coppa Italia.
It is after the last three games that Stefano Pioli realised that he had found the metronome that in recent months had lost a bit of its usual rhythm. The Algerian plays the important role of being the stitching between departments, winning balls back with his grit and low centre of gravity, then quickly moving it vertically.
It has been a tough last few months for Franck Kessie meanwhile as Ivorian’s performances have been very up and down and he has not hit the same heights as last season, all while the hysteria surrounding his future swirls and the crowd begin to turn.
Moving forward Pioli knows he can count on Bennacer and Sandro Tonali, which is why the former Empoli man will be the next player to renew his contract. It’s practically all done; only the last details are missing and then a new contract until 2026 will be signed with a pay rise from €1.5m net per season to €3m net.
Bennacer is determined too, because after winning the African Cup of Nations with Algeria in 2019 (complete with being awarded as the best player of the tournament), they suffered a brutal elimination in the group stages this time. That adds an extra motivation to win a trophy at club level this season.
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