Calciomercato.com focused on Ismael Bennacer's situation and explained that his future is not 100% secure in Paulo Fonseca's squad.
As per the source, his play against Torino was too textbook, and as happened throughout last season with Pioli, in a two-man midfield, the former Empoli and Arsenal player cannot guarantee the necessary balance. Hence, the many dangers faced in defense and the many chances allowed to Torino towards Maignan's goal.
In fact, the acquisition of Youssouf Fofana has been long pursued by Milan precisely to address these issues. After two months of negotiations, his arrival at Milanello will inevitably close many of the spaces currently occupied by Bennacer. This is why today, he remains among the potential departures, not only because his contract has a release clause of 50 million euros, but also because Milan could gain a significant capital gain, a substantial saving on his 4 million euros annual salary, and the budget to close the last big acquisition hypothesised in this market.
The profile has already been identified for some time, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic himself confirmed that Milan is following him. It is Manu Koné, a Franco-Ivorian midfielder of Borussia Monchengladbach, born in 2001 and with a contract expiring on June 30, 2026, with the German club. The former Toulouse player is highly liked because he has very similar characteristics to Fofana with whom he could alternate.
"Manu Koné? We are following him, he has grown a lot. He played in the Olympics, and we'll see what we have in mind. But yes, we are following him. With Fofana, there is less room for him, but we'll see. Only one day is left in creating this new world of Milan," said Ibrahimovic in a press conference, but in that role today, there is also Bennacer.
First, Bennacer must leave, but now the market around the Algerian continues to be very quiet. The interest from Saudi Arabia never went beyond simple contacts, and an official offer has never arrived on the Rossoneri's table.
Therefore, they have not even considered the idea of giving a discount on the 50 million euros clause. Time is running out, and although the Arabian market closes well after the Italian deadline of August 30, Milan cannot afford to sell him without having space to find an alternative.
