Arsenal set to make approach for 24-year-old Serie A midfielder

Liverpool are reportedly preparing to table a €40m (£33.7m) bid for AC Milan playmaker Ismael Bennacer.

Arsenal have been rumoured with a swoop for their former player, who only played one game for the North London giants in the EFL Cup before departing from the club back in 2017.

The ex-Arsenal midfielder failed to make it in North London under Arsene Wenger, however, has since established himself as a regular for Stefano Pioli’s Rossoneri.

Amid competition from Sandro Tonali and Franck Kessie – who has now left for Barcelona – Bennacer contributed two goals and one assist in 31 Serie A games last term.

The Algeria international started 15 of those games as the Rossoneri won the Scudetto, while he also started four Champions League matches in the group stage.

Bennacer’s deal at San Siro only has another two years left to expire, which has led to rumours surrounding a potential Premier League return for the 2022-23 campaign.

Now, Calciomercatoweb reports that the Merseyside Reds are also plotting a swoop for the 24-year-old, who would be the subject of a €40m (£33.7m) fee from the Reds.

The report claims that Bennacer possesses a release clause of €50m (£42.2m) in his existing AC Milan deal, and the Rossoneri may try to hold out for that fee at first.

Bennacer has now contributed three goals and five assists in 105 appearences for Milan over the past three years and is being rumoured with a move to Arsenal and Liverpool and the latest fans are growing increasingly frustrated over the club’s refusal to sign a new midfielder.

Jurgen Klopp’s team have already signed Darwin Nunez, Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay, while Arsenal have lured Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner and Marquinhos.