Ismael Bennacer terminates AC Milan contract, joins Qatari side Al-Gharafa

Ismael Bennacer's seven-year association with AC Milan has officially come to an end after the Serie A club confirmed the termination of the Algerian midfielder's contract by mutual agreement. The 28-year-old is now en route to Qatar to complete a move to Al-Gharafa in the Qatar Stars League.

Bennacer, who joined Milan from Empoli in 2019 for €16 million, made 178 competitive appearances for the Rossoneri, scoring eight goals and providing 12 assists. He was a key figure in the midfield when Stefano Pioli's side captured the Serie A title in 2021-22 — the club's first Scudetto in over a decade — and added the Supercoppa Italiana to his honours in the 2024-25 season.

However, the former Arsenal youth product never fully recovered from a serious knee injury sustained in May 2023. After undergoing surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation, Bennacer found himself marginalised in the Milan squad. Loan spells at Olympique Marseille in Ligue 1 and Dinamo Zagreb in the Croatian top flight during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons failed to yield permanent transfers, with neither club taking up their purchase options.

With his contract still due to run until June 2027, Milan and Bennacer reached an agreement to terminate the deal, allowing the Algeria international to pursue a fresh start in the Middle East. Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the final paperwork has been completed and Bennacer is travelling to Doha for medical examinations before signing with Al-Gharafa.

Bennacer's career reached its peak in 2019 when he was named Player of the Tournament as Algeria won the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. That form earned him a prominent role at Milan, where he formed a dynamic midfield partnership with Franck Kessié and later Sandro Tonali, before injuries derailed his trajectory.

At 28, Bennacer will hope to rediscover his best form in the less demanding environment of the Qatar Stars League, albeit at a level far below the European elite he once graced.

Sources

• https://football-italia.net/bennacer-flies-out-for-new-job-in-qatar-milan/
• https://onefootball.com/en/news/milan-cut-ties-with-forgotten-midfielder-bennacer-ahead-of-qatar-move-43184545