Manchester United prepare bid for 24-year-old AC Milan midfielder - Reports
Manchester United's quest for a midfielder continues as they prepare for a bid for AC Milan star Ismael Bennacer, according to The Sun (via Football Fancast).
The 24-year-old midfielder was an original transfer target for former permanent manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Red Devils have now rekindled their interest in signing the Algerian international, who currently has 39 caps to his name.
According to the aforementioned source, AC Milan have set an asking price of around £43 million for their midfielder. Bennacer was a member of the Serie A-winning Milan squad, making 31 appearances in the league.
He even contributed two goals and an assist along the way. However, out of his 31 appearances, only 15 of them were starts while he completed the full 90 minutes on just four occasions.
Bennacer captained Algeria in their 2-1 friendly win over Iran today 🇩🇿 https://t.co/BSl7hvxPSt
According to Transfermarkt, Ismael Bennacer is primarily a defensive midfielder, something Manchester United currently lack in their squad. Fred, Scott McTominay and Donny van de Beek are currently the only central midfielders at Erik ten Hag's disposal. Now with the departures of Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba, the Red Devils are in dire need of reinforcements in midfield.
Ismael Bennacer could be a great addition to the squad. According to Who Scored, he had a pass success rate of 87% during the 2021-22 season. Bennacer also averaged 1.6 tackles per game, which is close to what Fabinho managed during Liverpool's 2021-22 season (1.9).
Frenkie de Jong has also been linked with a move to Manchester United
It is worth mentioning that Ismael Bennacer is not the only midfielder linked with a move to Manchester United this summer. FC Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong is another midfielder wanted by the Red Devils.
According to Fabrizio Romano, both United and Barcelona are still in direct contact with one another to fork out a deal for the Dutch midfielder. The Catalan giants have already rejected United's initial offer for de Jong worth around £60 million (€60 million plus €10 million add-ons).
Mundo Deportivo have suggested that Manchester United might have an advantage in their bid to sign Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong this summer. dlvr.it/SSM1pQ
As things stand, Manchester United are yet to make a single signing in the summer transfer window. Their rivals, on the other hand, have already made some key signings. Manchester City have brought in Erling Haaland while Liverpool have confirmed the arrival of Darwin Nunez.