Bennacer passes medical ahead of Al Gharafa move from AC Milan

Algeria midfielder Ismael Bennacer has completed a medical with Al Gharafa as he prepares to leave AC Milan for the Qatari club.

Bennacer, 28, is set to join Al Gharafa after seven seasons on Milan’s books, with the move now only awaiting final formalities following his successful medical tests.

According to Qatari newspaper Al Arab, the deal has progressed to the point where Bennacer has passed his medical examination and is expected to link up with his new team in their pre-season camp in Slovakia in the coming days as they build towards the new campaign.

The transfer will mark the end of a lengthy association with Milan, during which the Algerian international became a regular in Serie A before a series of loans in recent seasons.

Loan spells in France and Croatia

Bennacer has spent the past 18 months away from San Siro on temporary deals, first joining Marseille for six months in 2025 and then moving to Dinamo Zagreb for the 2025-26 season.

His time in Croatia proved particularly productive. The midfielder made 20 appearances for Dinamo Zagreb, scoring two goals and helping the club secure a domestic double of league and cup titles.

Following that successful spell, Bennacer opted to bring his Milan chapter to a close and agree a move to Al Gharafa, who are looking to strengthen their squad with proven international experience.

Milan record and next chapter

Bennacer originally signed for Milan in 2019 and went on to feature 178 times for the Italian giants in all competitions, scoring eight goals and providing 12 assists.

The Algeria international now heads to the Qatar Stars League with a record that includes domestic success in Croatia and a significant body of work in one of Europe’s major leagues.

Al Gharafa will be hoping Bennacer’s blend of top-level experience and recent trophy-winning form with Dinamo Zagreb can help drive their ambitions in the upcoming season, once his move from Milan is officially confirmed.