Loaned to Tours in Ligue 2 for the second half of the season, Ismaël Bennacer is due back at Arsenal over the summer.
The 19-year-old midfielder was in search of first-team football after spending the first half of the campaign captaining the club’s reserves, and Wenger’s decision to send him out on loan was well received by the youngster.
Picking up his first caps for Algeria this year, Bennacer is determined to carry on his development in order to one day, perhaps, make it into the Gunners’ first-team squad.
That, however, is unlikely to happen next season, which is why the youngster is expecting, and wants, to be loaned out again for 2017/18, preferably in one of the top leagues.
Speaking to Onze Mondial, relayed by Le Buteur, the Arsenal midfielder said: “If I can have a year in Ligue 1 or in La Liga, that would be good for my development. Yes, I’ve got quite a few interested clubs in France, England or Spain.
“France remains my priority because it’s my home country, but the amount of game time will be the deciding factor. That’s my one condition.”
With quite a few Ligue 1 clubs likely to be interested in the talented Algeria international, Bennacer could end up being spoilt for choice.
However, nothing will happen before he sits down with Arsène Wenger to assess the his recent loan and his future situation.
Does that mean he expects him to be the manager next season? We’ll have to wait and see on that one.
