Why didn't Ismael Bennacer stay at Dinamo?

Although he became a free agent after the termination with Milan, Dinamo had in the meantime gone a different route in assembling the team, and Bennacer's financial demands of four million euros per year were too big an obstacle.

Where will Bennacer continue his career?

According to information from Fabrizio Romano and Italian media, Bennacer is close to an agreement with Qatari club Al-Gharafa.

How many matches did Bennacer play for Dinamo?

The Algerian played 19 matches for the Zagreb club in all competitions during the 2025/2026 season.

What did Zvonimir Boban say about Bennacer?

Boban stated in June 2026 for La Gazzetta dello Sport that he wants to keep Bennacer but is waiting for the player to first resolve his contract with Milan.

Football

Boban's Plan Fails: Bennacer Free, but Not Heading to Dinamo

B.M. · Prije 3h | 3 min

AC Milan has mutually terminated the contract with the Algerian midfielder, but instead of returning to Maksimir, Bennacer will continue his career at Qatari club Al-Gharafa.

Summary

AC Milan mutually terminated the contract with Ismael Bennacer on August 7, 2026.
Dinamo president Zvonimir Boban wanted to bring Bennacer back without paying a transfer fee, but no agreement will be reached.
Bennacer will continue his career at Qatari club Al-Gharafa, thus leaving European football.
The Algerian played 19 matches for Dinamo and 178 for Milan over seven years.

Ismael Bennacer (28) has left AC Milan. The Italian club officially confirmed on Friday, August 7, 2026, the mutual termination of the contract with the Algerian midfielder, who spent last season on loan at Dinamo. This fulfills the scenario hoped for by Dinamo president Zvonimir Boban, but it seems a return to Zagreb is off the table. After the contract termination, Bennacer also posted a farewell message to Milan fans.

"AC Milan confirms the mutual termination of the contract with Ismael Bennacer. The club wishes him all the best in the future," Milan announced in a brief statement. Bennacer joined the "Rossoneri" in 2019 from Empoli for 16 million euros. In his seven years at San Siro, he made 178 official appearances, 137 of which in Serie A, and played a key role in winning the Italian league title in the 2021/22 season.

Boban Waited for the Termination, but Dinamo Has Moved On

Croatian fans got to know Bennacer in the Dinamo jersey, which brought him in on a one-year loan at the beginning of September 2025, with a purchase option worth ten million euros. The Algerian played 19 matches for the Zagreb club in all competitions, and his season was also marked by injury problems. Dinamo did not activate that purchase option, but that did not mean the story was over.

Zvonimir Boban openly communicated his desire to keep Bennacer as early as June 2026, but not at the price of ten million euros in compensation. "We want to keep Ismael Bennacer, but we are waiting for him to resolve his contract with Milan. If he resolves the situation with the Rossoneri, we would be the ideal team for the continuation of his career," Boban told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

That scenario has just happened. Bennacer has become a free agent, which removed the biggest obstacle for Dinamo. However, it seems that at Maksimir they have since gone a different route in assembling their midfield. Financial conditions were also an additional obstacle because Bennacer, according to his contract with Milan, was set to receive around four million euros net per year.

Instead of Maksimir, a Move to Qatar

According to information from Italian media and renowned insider Fabrizio Romano, Bennacer is close to an agreement with Qatari club Al-Gharafa. Romano posted on social media platform X that the transfer is in its final stages. Both Football Italia and Milan Reports cite the Qatari club as his likely next destination.

This outcome can be seen as a partial defeat for Zvonimir Boban, who patiently waited for Bennacer to resolve his contractual relationship with Milan, counting on being able to bring him back to Zagreb afterward. In the end, he got what he wanted-a contract termination without compensation-but the player will still leave Europe. Dinamo will thus remain the last European club for which Bennacer played before leaving the continent.