Liverpool are eyeing to bring AC Milan midfielder Ismael Bennacer to Merseyside. Bennacer has been impressive at Milan over the years. Other than Liverpool, Chelsea also have an interest in the youngster.
Liverpool’s ageing midfield problems have been quite evident this season with their inconsistent performances. Thiago, James Milner, and Jordan Henderson are all in their thirties. Jurgen Klopp is already looking to fix this problem by bringing in reinforcements to the side.
The high-energy, heavy-pressure system implied by Jurgen Klopp has not seen the best of Liverpool this season. Part of this problem has been their ageing midfield. This has made Klopp to look out for options in the midfield.
Jude Bellingham is definitely Liverpool’s prime target. They’re keeping close tabs on Bellingham to pounce on the opportunity as soon as the Englishman is available in the market. However, Klopp is also keeping his eyes open for other options.
Liverpool trying to strengthen midfield
Liverpool are now preparing to sign AC Milan midfielder Ismael Bennacer and bring him to Merseyside. Ismael Bennacer spent a short amount of time with Arsenal but couldn’t make a league appearance. The Algerian had joined Arsenal from AC Arlésien in 2015.
He was only 17 at the time but had lots of potential. At such a young age, he did show signs of his talent and impressed many. However, he was sold two years later for just £900,000.
Now 24, Bennacer is a regular in the Milan side. He has over 90 appearances for AC Milan and helped the side secure their 19th Scudetto last year. It was Milan’s first league title since the 2010-11 campaign.
The midfielder has also made 40 appearances for his country. His most impressive performance came in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. He helped Algeria win their first major trophy since 1990 and was named the Player of the Tournament.
Reports claim that the Reds are ready to meet the demands of the youngster. Klopp considers him to be a crucial player who would be a nice addition to Liverpool’s system.
His versatility makes him an interesting prospect as he can play as a holding midfielder and also as an attacking option. He can also play in a box-to-box role.
Liverpool have been long trying to strengthen their midfield. They have already signed Arthur Melo on a loan deal from Juventus, but Klopp is very much interested in bringing Bennacer to Liverpool as well.
AC Milan’s approach to things
However, AC Milan are not ready to let the Algerian go that easily. Bennacer has been instrumental in his performances and has helped Milan cope with the loss of Kessie to Barcelona. The Serie A giants are trying to work out a new deal for him, with his current contract expiring in 2024.
Reports from Sport Mediaset indicate that Bennacer currently earns about €1.7 million per season, which translates to around £30,000 per week. He’s asking for €4 million per season, or around £68,000 per week, to extend his current contract at Milan.
AC Milan, though, are willing to provide him €3 million per season, or around £50,000 per week. In comparison, Liverpool are willing to match his €4 million a season request.
There is certainly no doubt that clubs in England are capable of offering much more wages in comparison to the clubs in Italy.
Reports also say that if Milan do decide to offload the player, they could demand at least €50 million (£45 million).
Chelsea also interested in Bennacer
However, Liverpool aren’t the only side to be interested in Bennacer. They could face stiff competition from Chelsea. Reports suggest that Graham Potter is on the lookout for more midfield options in the Chelsea lineup.
Chelsea already has plenty of midfield options with the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho, Conor Gallagher, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Denis Zakaria, and N’Golo Kante. However, Potter seems to be in need of a new talent.
Graham Potter is looking to rebuild the Chelsea team with his own style of play. For that, he would need players that he feels would fit perfectly with his style of play. As the Chelsea management said during his appointment, Potter will be provided ample amount of time to rebuild Chelsea exactly the way he wants.
Bennacer is just one of the names in Graham Potter’s list of many. Chelsea would definitely try to hijack one or two targets of Liverpool. It will be interesting to see how Potter plays his cards to lure these players in.
