Chelsea and Liverpool are in the race to sign AC Milan midfielder Ismael Bennacer, according to reports. It comes after Arsenal appeared to show interest in the Algeria international in the summer as a way to bolster their ranks in the middle of the park.
The Gunners were unable to find a solution to sign another midfielder in the window though, despite making a late push to do so. It could prove costly though, as Mohamed Elneny is ruled out for months through injury while Thomas Partey continues to battle small issues that keep him out of action.
Luckily for Mikel Arteta, there will be fewer fixtures for him to face before getting a chance to strengthen once again, with a World Cup disrupting the season from November into later December. That could see them re-enter the race to sign Bennacer, who used to be a player at the Emirates.
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The 24-year-old joined Arsenal in 2015 from French club Arles for around £150,000, with the youngster then seen as a huge prospect for the future under Arsene Wenger. It didn't quite work out that way for him at the club though and he left in 2017 for Italian side Empoli for a fee of £900,000.
It didn't take him too long to impress there though, making the move to AC Milan just two years later for roughly £14million. He has helped guide the Rossoneri back to the top, playing a crucial role in their Serie A winning side last season, with his talent being recognised by other big European clubs.
That's because reports from Sportsmediaset claim Liverpool have joined the race to sign Bennacer, while Calciomercatoweb add that Chelsea are also interested. It remains to be seen whether Arsenal will go back in for the midfield star in January, but they could regret selling him years ago if he impresses for Premier League rivals and is sold for a large fee.
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