It was April 12th, the air smelled of spring, and the Champions League felt like family. Ismael Bennacer, a Serie A champion with Milan, spent that evening shadowing Lobotka and scoring the goal that would pave the way to the Champions League semifinals: Milan 1–0 Napoli at San Siro, in the first leg of the 2023 quarter-finals.
Two years and three months later, Ismael Bennacer has become, in Milan’s narrative, a symbol of a time that no longer exists. In February, Ismael was sent on loan to Marseille, who chose not to make the move permanent.
Allegri didn’t call him up for preseason camp and left him out of the summer tour. There’s a trace of disappointment in all this.
By the way, speaking of the summer tour, it means that the official start of the season will soon begin, and the fans will be looking for a trusted platform in order to place bets and possibly win important gains. This is where betway comes in. The website offers safe and secure services to users based in Nigeria with several sports included in its catalogue, from soccer, to football, passing through baseball, basketball, and also cricket among many others. Milan fans can definitely check it out and who knows, maybe they will strike gold, just like how coach Allegri hopes to do with his new squad, which sees Ismael Bennacer being left out.
The player in question is out of the club’s project and also excluded from Allegri’s tactical setup and plans.
The 7 million euros contract...
What happened to him? Two reasons stand out above the rest. The first: the contract. Bennacer is trapped by his contract, which earns him €4 million net per season, and yes, there are worse problems to have in football and in life. But for Milan, Isma costs over €7 million annually, since his deal predates the “Growth Decree” tax benefits, Milan signed him from Empoli, an Italy-to-Italy transfer. Any club wanting to sign him would need to set aside a large sum, and that’s no easy task in the current market. Not by chance, Marseille hinted a few weeks ago that they were open to another loan deal, not a permanent signing, which would also require paying a transfer fee, as relayed via Gazzetta dello Sport recently.
Ismael Bennacer's injuries...
The second reason is injuries. On May 10, 2023, Bennacer suffered an injury in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal against Inter. The diagnosis alone was daunting: a post-traumatic cartilage lesion of the lateral femoral condyle in his right knee. He returned at the end of November and helped Pioli through the end of the season, but he wasn’t the same exceptional player from the previous year. The clear impression: something had been lost. At the start of the 2024–25 season, another setback arrived, a calf injury that sidelined him for over three months. When he returned, he saw little playing time and, at the last minute, went to Marseille. On the penultimate day of the transfer window, Conceição subbed him off halfway through the derby, and Bennacer didn’t take it well, he asked to leave. Marseille, the team he had supported as a child, became the perfect destination.
The 2025 transfer market:
Time has passed quickly since February. Bennacer has recovered from that injury, but in Marseille he only managed short appearances, never gaining real consistency. And now? Now he needs a club smaller than Milan, one that can give him minutes, help him regain match fitness and confidence. But there’s a problem: a smaller club can’t afford to pay him €4 million net per year. Marseille are still looking for a midfielder, and the idea of a return isn’t off the table. It’s certainly not likely either. And so, Bennacer trains alone, away from the squad, waiting for someone to give him a chance. The roar of San Siro on April 12 feels like a distant echo.
What were Ismael Bennacer's numbers last season with Marseille?
Under the guidance of Italian tactician Roberto De Zerbi at Marseille in the 2024/2025 season campaign, the Algerian midfielder who is 27 years of age, formerly of Arsenal and Empoli, featured in just 12 matches in the French league. He managed to provide two assist to his teammates while also receiving two yellow cards. In total, he played 650 minutes with Marseille, as he joined them in February 2025. His current contract with AC Milan runs until the summer of 2027. According to Transfermarkt, the left-footed player’s value should be around 15 million euros.
Who will replace Bennacer at AC Milan?
Last season, the Rossoneri have already moved by securing the arrival of Youssouf Fofana. This summer, with Tijjani Reijnders exit, they have worked to add important quality. We are talking about the legendary midfielder and veteran of Real Madrid, Luka Modric, in addition to Samuele Ricci, an interesting Italian talent of Torino. Besides that, there is also Ardon Jashari who is set to arrive from Club Brugge after a long exhausting negotiation.
