When Arsène Wenger and Arsenal gamble a decent sum of money on a young French-born player, the excitement the transfer generates is generally important, which was the case with Ismaël Bennacer in 2015.
Bought from Arles-Avignon in France for around £250k, the now 18-year-old central midfielder has started to make a name for himself in Arsenal’s reserves, appearing nine times so far this season, but it’s on the international scene that things are moving quickly.
Such a quick evolution both for club and country has caught the eye of a few clubs, according to Algerian newspaper Le Buteur, including a few in Ligue 1.
According to their website, Guingamp, Le Havre and Lorient are ‘very interested’ in the youngster’s services, while unnamed Championship clubs and a few Belgian sides are also keeping an eye on his progress.
Furthermore, Le Buteur explain that, following his international call-up, Bennacer would like to play first-team football rather than be in Arsenal’s reserves, meaning a loan deal could be on the cards for the 18-year-old.
Arsène Wenger is said to be open to the idea, as the number of midfielders currently in his first-team squad would limit Bennacer’s chances of making it in his plans, for this season, at least.
One to keep an eye on, that’s for sure.
