Ismael Bennacer has terminated his AC Milan contract by mutual consent and is flying to Qatar to join Al-Gharafa, drawing the curtain on a turbulent six-year spell in Italy.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the final paperwork has been completed for the Algeria international to leave San Siro, where his deal was due to run until June 2027. The 28-year-old has not played for the Rossoneri since February 2025 following a serious knee injury that fundamentally altered his career trajectory.
Injury and loan setbacks
Bennacer suffered the knee problem in May 2023 and never fully re-established himself in the Milan midfield. The club sanctioned loan moves to Olympique Marseille and GNK Dinamo Zagreb in an attempt to revive his match fitness, but neither side took up their option to sign him permanently.
His last competitive appearance for the club came in February 2025. By that stage, the injury had curtailed his effectiveness at the highest level, leaving him surplus to requirements at San Siro.
Highs and lows in Milan
The Qatar move marks a remarkable shift for a player who arrived from Empoli in 2019 and quickly became a fan favourite. Bennacer made 178 appearances for Milan, scoring eight goals and providing 12 assists. He started regularly during the 2021-22 campaign when the club won its first Scudetto in over a decade, and also collected a Supercoppa Italiana winner’s medal in 2024-25.
His performances at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, where he was named Player of the Tournament as Algeria lifted the trophy, had initially convinced Milan to invest in his potential.
Next chapter in Doha
Bennacer will undergo medical tests with Al-Gharafa before completing his free transfer to the Qatar Stars League outfit. The move offers the midfielder an opportunity to rebuild his career away from the intense scrutiny of European football.
For Milan, the mutual termination clears a player who had been frozen out since February, while Bennacer secures an immediate return to regular senior football after 18 months on the periphery.