Ismael Bennacer has now revealed why he decided to reject Manchester City for Arsenal.
The 25-year-old spoke to Instant Foot about his discussions with the Citizens.
So, what did Ismael Bennacer say about Manchester City? Let’s take a look…
What’s the story?
Well, the man with 46 caps for Algeria revealed that his desire to have a flat – rather than stay at the City Football Academy – was the reason behind his decision to reject Manchester City.
Bennacer said: “(Manchester City) called me and told me, we want you to be with the reserves and everything. It’s City, man. I was ready. They told me, come see the facilities, so I did. I got there, I don’t know, I wasn’t feeling it.
“Their facilities were crazy. Amazing. I spoke with (Patrick) Vieira and everything. I liked the talk we had, but the fact they wanted me at the academy, to sleep there… I wanted a flat. I wanted my sister to come with me. That is why I dropped City. Then there was Arsenal towards the end of July.”
Bennacer eventually left Arsenal for Empoli in 2017, where he did well enough to impress AC Milan and secure a £14.5m move to the San Siro in 2019.
The Arles-born maestro is now regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe.
Ismael Bennacer story shows Manchester City are looking in the right areas
While Manchester City never actually managed to sign Bennacer, the fact he was identified in the first place shows that the Citizens are scouting in the right places.
While the Algerian may have slipped through the net, the City Football Group have since produced the likes of Romeo Lavia, Cole Palmer, Oscar Bobb – who Pep Guardiola rates highly – and Jadon Sancho, so the process is clearly working.
Ultimately, there might not have been room for Bennacer to break through anyway, as Manchester City’s defensive midfield department has been able to boast the likes of Fernandinho and Rodri in recent times.
Therefore, things appear to have worked out for the best, as Bennacer became a star elsewhere.
