Intriguing Choice: Bennacer Rejects City’s Glamour for Home Comforts at Arsenal
Young Ismael Bennacer had a tough decision in 2015: join Manchester City’s famed academy or take a different path at Arsenal.
While City boasted impressive facilities and a chat with legend Patrick Vieira, Bennacer ultimately went with his gut feeling.
The lack of immediate housing, crucial for him to bring his sister along, didn’t sit well. “Their facilities were crazy,” he admitted, “but I wanted a flat.”
Arsenal won the transfer race, but Bennacer’s time there was limited. A loan to France and a permanent move to Empoli followed, where his career blossomed.
He helped them win Serie B and later joined AC Milan, lifting the Serie A title in 2022.
Though Bennacer remembers the positive interaction with Vieira, the desire for a familiar living arrangement proved decisive.
Rumors of a return to Arsenal surfaced, but fate intervened with a knee injury.
Now, with three years left on his Milan contract, the Algerian star, instrumental in their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations victory, looks forward to further solidifying his position as a midfield powerhouse.