Ismael Bennacer joins Qatar’s Al Gharafa on a free transfer

Al Gharafa have signed Algeria midfielder Ismael Bennacer on a free transfer.

The Qatar club have not disclosed the length of the contract for the 28-year-old, who became a free agent after mutually ending his agreement with Milan last summer.

Milan thanked Bennacer for his contribution and wished him “all the best and success” in the next stage of his career.

Bennacer spent the latter part of his time at Milan on loan. He played for Marseille for six months in 2025 before joining Dinamo Zagreb for last season.

He made 20 appearances for Dinamo Zagreb, scoring two goals as the club won the league and cup double in Croatia.

Bennacer then decided to bring his time with Milan to an end and continue his career with Al Gharafa.

The midfielder joined Milan in 2019 and went on to play 178 matches for the Italian club, scoring eight goals and providing 12 assists.