Ismael Bennacer is set to sign a new contract at AC Milan to 2027, though he’ll maintain a €50m release clause in his new deal.

Fabrizio Romano reports that Ismael Bennacer will sign a new contract with AC Milan next week. The former Gunner’s new deal will last until 2027, with a net salary of around €4m per year.

Romano claims that throughout contract negotiations, Bennacer only ever wanted to stay.

But he is keeping his €50m (£44m) release clause, so the option to leave remains on the table for a sufficiently interested party.

Daniele Longo recently reported that Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal were all monitoring Ismael Bennacer for a potential transfer, though the Italian journalist added that there hadn’t been any concrete proposals.

Before that, Carlo Laudisa had written that the same three Premier League clubs all had Bennacer in their sights, and the player’s renewal process with Milan was said to be an “economic battle”.

It’s a battle Milan appear to have won, on the verge of extending Bennacer’s deal from 2024 to 2027. Yet at £44m, he also won’t be ridiculously overpriced if he continues to improve.

Arsenal initially signed Bennacer in 2015, quickly giving him his first-team debut in the League Cup at the age of 17. But that ended up being the midfielder’s only appearance for the Gunners’ first team.

Bennacer signed for Empoli in Serie B, winning promotion and playing a campaign in Serie A before he caught the attention of AC Milan.

In three-and-a-half seasons since then, Bennacer has established himself as a key player for Milan, making 127 appearances.