Former Arsenal midfielder Ismael Bennacer has revealed why he chose to leave the club for a step into the unknown.
The 22-year-old has enjoyed a successful period since leaving the Gunners, having been named player of the tournament in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations while representing Algeria, and securing a move to AC Milan soon after.
Bennacer joined Arsenal’s academy back in 2015, having started out at hometown club Arles in France, and would make his senior debut for the club in a League Cup tie against Sheffield Wednesday later that year.
It proved to be his only appearance for the club though, and having been sent out on loan to Ligue 2 side Tours during the 2016/17 season, he would then make the permanent move to Italian Serie B side Empoli.
Bennacer admits he felt “incredible pressure” during his time at the Emirates Stadium, but insists he has no regrets about his time in the Premier League.
“I arrived in England in July 2015, then stayed in a hotel for the first two months because I didn’t want to live with a family I didn’t know,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport magazine Sportweek.
“I was 17 years old and couldn’t live on my own, so my sister came to live with me, then the girl I’d been dating since school who in England would go on to become my wife.
“Finally, in September, I got some time on the pitch, but I was thrown on after two other injuries against Sheffield, played wide left in a trident attack, which I had never done before. I felt incredible pressure and wasn’t sure what was going on.
“I never played again after that, but I have no regrets, as I still got to train with important players like Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla. I had four years left on the Arsenal contract, but I had to be at a club where they really wanted me.
“I didn’t know Empoli, but I accepted a move down from the Premier League to Serie B because they were the club who wanted me the most. I did the same when deciding on Milan – I chose them for their history too, but also because it was the best project for me.”
