Arsenal: Time to count Ismael Bennacer among the many

Arsenal are going to miss out on Ismael Bennacer, but don’t worry everyone, would it make you feel better if you knew we were getting paid to miss out?

Arsenal‘s midfield doesn’t need a ton of help this summer, but someone who could try to step into Aaron Ramsey‘s void and provide a little something something would be nice. And given the budget that the Gunners are working with, it’s pretty important to keep it on the cheap.

Hello, Ismael Bennacer, someone who we had the bizarre and uncharacteristic foresight to put a buyback clause on when we sold him on to Empoli. Bennacer showcased a ton of talent in Serie A, playing a box-to-box role, driving from deep, creating chances, doing all the jobs you’d want him to do.

But the Gunners have shown zero interest in bringing Ismael Bennacer back home. Instead, they look content to see him sold on to AC Milan, where Ivan Gazidis will look to capitalize on his handiwork.

Wait! It’s not all bad, the Gunners could be facing a kickback for the sale of Bennacer, which is nice, considering our itty-bitty transfer kitty.

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That’s right, if Bennacer is sold, we could see a whole £5m of funds allotted to us. How nice, right? That means that, while Bennacer is tearing it up at AC Milan, we can rest assured knowing that we got the best value out of him. After all, we sold him initially for about £750k and stand to get £5m in kickbacks. That’s just under £6m earned from the young master!

Honestly, it’s just another shambolic handling of incredible talent. How Liverpool and Manchester United are able to drum up such ridiculous fees for their young players and we are selling guys like Serge Gnabry for £5m and Bennacer for £6m is beyond me. It’s like nobody actually cares. Like they think we can’t get any money for potential.

That £5m better be put to damn good use. Like, damn good use. We have seen a lot of deals derail when our bids fall £5-10m shy of the asking price, so maybe this little extra bit from Bennacer can help see something happen.

It may not be the point, but at least we can turn this negative situation and turn it around in a positive light. Sometimes, as far as this club and their transfer movement, that’s the best you can do.