Ismael Bennacer is enjoying his time out on loan so much that he wants to do it again next season even though Arsene Wenger told him he was ‘counting on him’.
- Bennacer is now a full Algerian international
- He was recommended by Gilles Grimandi
- Box-to-box midfielder will meet Wenger in May to discuss future
- Read more: Bennacer provides ‘superb inspiration’
Ismael Bennacer joined Tours in Ligue 2 on loan and has impressed.
The 19-year-old signed for Arsenal for £255k from AC Arles Avignon in 2015 and is expected to have a decent future ahead of him.
Speaking to La Gazette du Fennec, Bennacer explained how his loan is going, what he sees happening in the future, and what Arsenal are really like.
“For now things are going well with the team and my playing time,” Bennacer said. We were bottom of the table when I arrived, and now we’re out of the relegation zone. I play, gain experience and am doing well.”
Bennacer also revealed that he initially wanted to stay in France even after his one week trial with Arsenal, but Arsene Wenger convinced him to join the club. “Basically I wanted to stay in France because it was the first time I had left home.
“In fact Arsenal is really a French club Wenger told me he was counting on me a lot and that Arsenal was the club for me when it came to my state of mind, my qualities and what they were looking for.
“Arsenal is a family oriented club who pay attention to the player’s entourage. They really want to put you in good conditions. The big difference is the work, it’s very serious both technically and physically.
“I’d like to go back out on loan, but I’m going to go over things with Wenger in May, and it’ll be up to him to decide. Personally, I’d really like to go out on loan because at my age, I need to get as much game time as I can and not ask myself too many questions.”
The teenager also knows it won’t be an easy job breaking into the Arsenal first team. “There are a lot of people in the middle, a lot of competition.
“I know what I’m capable of, I’m here to work. Whether I have time to play or not, I have not finished my training, I progress well to Arsenal.
“I train all the time with the pro group, I do not often but I am really patient, I work in the meantime. Wenger talks me a lot he gives a lot of advice about my career.
“It was he who advised me to go on loan no matter where, he wanted me to play, that I gain experience.
“At first we did not talk much, it settled over time.
“We will make an assessment in May with him to see where we are.
“He advised me either England or France, no matter where I went, as long as I had time to play.”