Arsenal want to re-sign Milan's highest earner

Stuart Telford

• 14 Apr 2023 09:22 BST
• 3 min read

Former Arsenal man Ismael Bennacer has blossomed into one of Serie A's best players at AC Milan, and now the Gunners want him back according to reports in Italy.

Bennacer graduated from Arsenal's youth academy having joined the North London club from Arles as a 17-year-old in 2015, but was only given 71 minutes in the EFL Cup before being allowed to leave for Empoli, via Tours, two years later.

But the French-born Algeria international has gone from strength-to-strength in Italy, and after another two years Empoli made a €15 million profit on the player having sold him to Milan for €16m.

READ: Ismael Bennacer's FootballTransfers profile

Bennacer won Serie A with Milan last season, featuring in 31 of their 38 games, and has averaged three tackles and four shot-creating actions per 90 minutes over the last year, making him one of the league's most effective midfielders.

Balogun in the mix?

"His good form is now attracting interest, with Arsenal and Liverpool both interested in his services," write the Sun, who report on an extra layer to a potential transfer. "The reports from Italy, via Football 365, suggest Arsenal could even try to tempt Milan into a sale by offering Folarin Balogun in a swap deal."

Milan made Bennacer their highest-paid player when they signed him to a new four-and-a-half year contract in January, the 25-year-old earning €7m a year before tax.

READ: Why Balogun could be the ace up Arsenal's sleeve

They have offered Rafa Leao a similar amount to stay, but with interest from Chelsea and others, the Portugal attacker could leave at the end of the season, making the Balogun interest yet more understandable.

Balogun has hit 18 goals in in 29 games on loan at Reims this season, with only Kylian Mbappe and Jonathan David ahead of him in the Ligue 1 scoring charts.

He is also only 21 - significantly younger than the incumbent strikers at the San Siro: Olivier Giroud, 36, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 41.