AC Milan have confirmed the departure of midfielder Ismael Bennacer after agreeing a mutual termination of his contract with the Algeria international, who has not played a competitive match for the Rossoneri since 2024.
The 28-year-old joined Milan from Empoli in the summer of 2019 in a €16m transfer and made 178 competitive appearances for the club during his seven-year spell. That total included 137 Serie A matches.
Milan announced the decision in a brief statement, saying: “AC Milan can confirm the termination of Ismael Bennacer’s contract by mutual consent. The club would like to wish him all the best for the future.”
Bennacer was an important member of the Milan side that won the Scudetto under Stefano Pioli in the 2021-22 season. He played 31 league matches during that campaign as the club secured the Serie A title.
His career at San Siro was disrupted by a serious knee injury suffered towards the end of the 2022-23 season. The injury marked the start of a difficult period for the midfielder and ultimately led to him losing his regular place in the Milan team.
Bennacer returned to action in December 2023 and featured 20 times in Serie A during the 2023-24 season. Most of those appearances came from the substitutes’ bench.
He subsequently left Milan on loan during the 2024-25 campaign, joining Marseille midway through the season. For the 2025-26 season, he moved to Dinamo Zagreb, where he continued his career in the Croatian top flight.
Recent reports have suggested that Bennacer could now be heading to Qatar to join Al-Gharafa, although Milan’s announcement did not confirm his next destination.
The midfielder’s departure brings an end to a Milan career that began with his arrival from Empoli in 2019 and included a central role in the club’s first Serie A title triumph in more than a decade. However, the knee injury and a subsequent reduction in playing time limited his involvement before loan spells away from the Italian club.
Bennacer’s final years under contract were spent largely away from Milan’s first-team plans, with his temporary moves to Marseille and Dinamo Zagreb preceding the agreement to end his association with the Rossoneri.
During his time at the club, he established himself as a technically gifted midfielder and became a regular option in the team’s midfield during its successful title-winning campaign. His 178 competitive appearances remain a significant contribution to Milan, even though he did not play for the club in a competitive fixture after 2024.
The contract termination allows both parties to move on, with Bennacer now set to consider the next step in his career after seven seasons with the Italian club.