Arsenal linked with AC Milan star midfielder: Good option for Mikel Arteta?

Bengaluru, July 11: Arsenal may have already secured four new signings with Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner, and Marquinhos, but it has not halted the club's pursuit of other targets. There remains a need for other positions to be bolstered and the club are still actively exploring the market.

Arteta is apparently after a new midfielder, who can combine creativity with defensive stability, with Leicester’s Youri Tielemans and Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic both heavily linked to the club. However, as per reports, another name on their wishlist is AC Milan's Ismael Bennacer. Arsenal are reportedly willing to offer AC Milan up to €40million to sign Bennacer.

Bennacer's career so far

The Algerian international was previously with Arsenal, but his only appearance for them came in the League Cup in 2015. He was sold in 2017 to Empoli and since then he has been pretty imposing.

He improved over two seasons with Empoli – one in Serie B and one in Serie A which earned him a move to AC Milan in 2019. Since then he has been a regular in the Serie A club’s midfield and has made over 100 appearances for the club. He also played a key role in clinching the Serie A title last season while he was also named the Best Player at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019, after winning the tournament with Algeria.

Should Arsenal get him?

If Arsenal can manage to pull it off, it would be a smart business for Arsenal. Capable of playing anywhere in a central midfield position, the 24-year-old would certainly give Arteta's squad some much-needed flexibility. However, Milan are not thought to be interested in selling their prized asset this summer after losing another midfielder, Franck Kessie to Barcelona on a free deal. But for the right offer they could be tempted to agree on a deal.