CM: A familiar feeling – Bennacer sidelined again with €10m move in doubt

Ismael Bennacer has suffered a setback which puts his potential permanent move to Dinamo Zagreb in even more dought.

In the summer window, Bennacer returned from Marseille who chose not to use their option to buy, but he didn’t remain for long. He again left Milan to move on loan to Dinamo Zagreb, where his great admirer Zvonimir Boban was waiting for him. He went on loan with an option to buy for €10m.

Familiar woes

As Calciomercato.com report, Bennacer left for Croatia hoping to return to the midfielder he was in his early years at Milan. He made a good impact, with 12 appearances, one goal and two assists before being sidelined by injury.

Bennacer has missed Dinamo Zagreb’s last three competitive matches, both in the Croatian league and the Europa League. Having started in the heart of the midfield in the January 22nd match against Osijek, Ismael was forced to withdraw after just 23 minutes, after a sudden pain.

Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images

Tests confirmed a thigh strain and this muscle injury will sideline him for several weeks, interrupting a strong run of form. With Dinamo Zagreb playing in the Europa League play-offs against Genk, his inclusion in the UEFA squad remains unclear.

The Croatian medical staff will evaluate his recovery time before making a final decision, but it is clear that Bennacer’s new injury threatens his permanent move. The deal was already difficult due to his salary (60% of his €4m net salary is being covered by Milan), but now it risks becoming a pipe dream.

While Dinamo were actively considering exercising the option until mid-January, this new injury could prompt the Croatian club to reconsider. For Milan, earning that €10m would be crucial to financing incoming transfers, also by offloading a high earner.