Ismaël Bennacer was in Arsenal’s academy for two years, and after finding first team opportunities at the north London club hard to come by, he moved to Empoli in 2017.
The Gunners included a buy-back clause when they sold the midfielder to the Italian side.
His performances for Empoli helped the 23-year-old get a move to AC Milan in 2019, and he is now a key player under Stefano Pioli.
According to Calciomercato, there are still a few people at Arsenal ‘who don’t understand how it was possible’ to let the player escape and a year later, the decision to not re-sign him ‘continues to ignite debate in London’.
It’s claimed Milan chief Paolo Maldini pushed to take the midfielder, ‘avoiding more than a week of hesitation with a phone call’ that unlocked the deal. The former defender ‘moved in total silence’ to seal the signing.
Calciomercato state the player has ‘no regrets’, most likely relating to missing out on an opportunity to rejoin the Premier League side.
