Despite hopes otherwise, Ismael Bennacer will return to AC Milan this summer, with Dinamo Zagreb not planning to use their option to buy.
The story of Bennacer and Milan has only gotten more frustrating in recent times. At one point, he had admittedly lofty dreams of winning the Ballon d’Or. Since then, and even before in fairness, his career has been marred with injuries.
Indeed, it is difficult to remember an extended period where he has not had some form of physical issue. In the least harsh way possible, he is a very expensive asset with a very low price at his current physical level.
Bennacer to return
However, there were hopes that the Rossoneri were going to part ways with the midfielder this summer and Dinamo Zagreb had seemingly offered a way out. Now, it has been taken away.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport (via @Garante_Il on X), the midfielder will return to Milanello in the summer, with the Croatian club unlikely to make use of their €15 million buy clause.
He will have to be sold, but that is a difficult task in itself, thanks to the high wage which he receives (around €4m per season). A solution must be found and it must be done quickly.
With one year left on his contract this summer, a Croatian club that have never spent anywhere near that kind of money on anyone were NEVER triggering that deal 😆.
No one is buying him. We’ll do well to get someone to cover half his wages for the year.
I think that Bennacer, like some.other players before, didnt want to go from Milan. Of course hisnhuge salary is reason why.
At the end Milan managed only deal with team who paid 30 or 40% of his salary, which saved Milan couple of millions.
In next season Bennacer should be fair and either go to Saudi Arabia or for lower salary stay somewhere in Europe, because any sale for 2 million make Milan small capital gain.
He forced his way out of Milan last January so he can go to Marseille.
Indeed, he didn’t really act in the clubs interest there as it also happened late in the winter Mercato. Two years ago his agent also said that Bennacer would like to play in Saudi Arabia in 2-3 years time.
15 mil buyout clause, seriously that sounds beyond daft considering he was also one of our highest paid players, how the hell was Zagreb supposed to ever buy him to begin with.
He will probably be sold for 5mil in the summer.
More likely that he’ll go away for free.
Could be but I suspect he will end up in Saudi Arabia this summer for a small fee and who would be willing to pay his salary…that is of course that he isn’t injured in the summer.
The thing is he is not going to settle for a smaller salary. We can sell him for 5m this summer or even for free next summer but nobody will bring him in because of his high salary. No, even if they get him for free it will still be a no.
Would they have paid $10m? 🙂
Lets keep him
I think he can be useful in this system as a standing DM, he is a very good player so let’s forget the fallout, forgive him and take him back
He can’t stay healthy for more than couple weeks.
He will be useless
i always had a soft spot for him. I’d argue he was better all-rounder than Kessie But injuries robbed him of a few good years. Sadly, Guglielminpietro is right. He’s not who he was and cant even stay healthy.
Good job Tare. Musah is also coming back, after playing almost nothing this whole season. But loaning Bennacer to Dinamo with optional buy clause is something the biggest amateur wouldn’t do. If he asked any Dinamo fan he could have told him. I really hope he is fired before the season ends.
someome will take musah on another loan. He’s young and talented enough for a mid table team. Benny on the other hand, cant stay healthy. As good as he is (or was) if you cant play, you are useless.
Good job Tare. Another masterpiece. Loan a player to Dinamo Zagreb with an optional buy out clause and pay most of his wages while he is there. Dinamo Zagreb records buy transfer is 4M€. How could have know they won’t buy him for the money set in the clause? When we add Musah coming back (that didn’t play almost anything), it’s a great show of amateurism of this guy. Hopefully he is out before June, with Furlani.
Dinamo most certainly won’t accept the loan if it’s an obligation to buy. Thus the option was put instead and in return Dinamo pay a small part of his salary. No point keeping him in the team as he’s already mentally checked out with no other clubs willing to bring him in last summer. Have to thank Boban for taking him.
Thank for what? For taking a player that Milan paid for them? Yes, thank you, real charity. 😀 And what did it accomplish? Saved 1M€. That is it. 1M€ saved and a player returning with 1 year of Croatian league experience, so valued much less than he was. Amazing work!
What they can do now is release him. That is it. Tare solved the situation same like he did with Origi. By having him get 100% of wages and run out his contract. He did the same stupid s**t with Musah. Could have been sold last summer 100%.
Bennacancer
It is well documented that clubs come back to renegotiate a lower fee if they are genuinely interested in using the buy option but feel the fee is too high that they agreed upon. So the only message is maybe they dont have faith in him or his demands are too high and not so much that we priced ourselves out of the market.
at this point with a reduced schedule, why not just let his contract run the final year and let the guy recover as a good depth option? I think he was always going to be just that. His fragility meant he’d never be THE GUY on your team, despite his ability. Playing less games and minutes, but performing at his best, could keep him heathy, might just be where he fits in best to help himself, with his team as well. I would just as well keep him as a depth option for a season.
A lot of counting chickens before they hatch.