Liverpool and Manchester United have been linked with a move for Ismael Bennacer, who looks set to remain at AC Milan.
According to a report from La Gazzetta Dello Sport, Liverpool and Manchester United have been dealt a major blow in their pursuit of the AC Milan midfielder Ismael Bennacer, who is closing in on signing a contract extension with the Serie A club.
The 24-year-old has been a key player for AC Milan since joining the club, and the Serie A giants were always determined to secure his long-term future, despite the links to other European clubs. These included Liverpool and Manchester United.
It will be interesting to see if Liverpool and Manchester United can now move on to other targets and bring in adequate midfield reinforcements in the upcoming windows. It is no secret that both clubs will need to improve their midfield in order to challenge for major trophies.
Liverpool will likely lose players like Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and James Miller at the end of the season. And Jurgen Klopp will need to bring in more than one central midfielder to strengthen his squad. The Reds have been linked with players like Jude Bellingham, Enzo Fernandez, and Sofyan Amrabat in recent weeks.
On the other hand, Manchester United need to bring in upgrades on the likes of Scott McTominay and Fred. Erik ten Hag is reportedly keen on signing Barcelona midfielder, Frenkie de Jong. Both Liverpool and Manchester United will have to splash out a considerable amount of money to sign the aforementioned targets.
It has been a mediocre season for Liverpool and Manchester United so far, and they are vying for a place in the top four. Clubs of their stature cannot afford to miss out on UEFA Champions League football next season.
So it will be interesting to see if they can perform at a high level during the second half of the campaign and secure a top-four finish. As for Bennacer, he will look to continue his development with regular football at AC Milan. The 24-year-old is expected to earn around €4 million per season once he puts pen to paper on his new deal.