Official: AC Milan part company with long-term absentee Ismaël Bennacer
Quick summary
AC Milan have officially parted ways with Ismaël Bennacer, who has been a long-term injury absentee.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceMilan 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.
Source attribution: this article content is based on the linked publisher feed/source. Chance adds independent soccer context, impact analysis, entity links, and related news.
What happened
AC Milan have officially announced the departure of Ismaël Bennacer. The Algerian midfielder had been sidelined for an extended period and did not feature in Milan's plans. The termination of his contract ends a long association with the club, freeing up a spot in the squad and on the wage bill as Milan continue their squad restructuring under their current sporting project.
Chance analysis
Bennacer's exit is the culmination of an injury-plagued final stretch at Milan, where he had been a key midfielder before recurring fitness issues. His departure has minimal immediate on-pitch impact given his absence from the squad, but it has significant salary relief and roster implications for Milan heading into the next transfer window. For Bennacer, this marks a career crossroads as he seeks a new club after a long layoff.
AC Milan free up wages and a non-EU/foreign slot with Bennacer's departure, but face no short-term tactical loss given his injury absence.
Bennacer was not in Milan's current plans, so his departure has negligible effect on upcoming match predictions but clears salary cap space for potential signings.