Arsenal has been the home to many top-level talents over the years, many of whom have come through their academy before making a huge impact on the club’s first team.
Winger Bukayo Saka is the best example currently in Mikel Arteta’s side, with the 23-year-old scoring 59 times in his 229 appearances for the Gunners since his debut back in 2020.
In years gone by, Ashley Cole, Martin Keown and Tony Adams have all come through the Hale End academy setup, having a huge effect on the club’s first team – with the latter spending his entire career with the Gunners.
The unbelievable work done by the staff in the youth ranks has saved the club endless amounts of money in the transfer market – but they’ve also allowed numerous talents to slip through the net in the process.
England record scorer Harry Kane was once a part of the Arsenal setup, before joining bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur – with his tally of 342 goals at club level undoubtedly improving Arteta’s current attacking unit.
However, one other talent was once a part of the club and was sold prematurely with his market value rapidly increasing after departing the Emirates.
Ismael Bennacer’s time at Arsenal
Midfielder Ismael Bennacer was one talent who thought he had what it took to become the latest player to come through Arsenal’s academy before making an impact on the first team.
The Algerian featured at different youth levels for the Gunners, including the U18 and U23 sides between 2015 and 2017.
He also managed to make a single appearance in the first team under Arsène Wenger back in October 2015, replacing Theo Walcott in the 3-0 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup.
However, he would fail to appear under the Frenchman again, being sent on a loan spell to French side Tours for the second half of the 2016/17 season – before securing a permanent move away from North London that summer.
Bennacer swapped England for Italy, moving to then Serie B side Empoli – with the talent going on to thrive in Europe over recent years.
Bennacer’s market value in 2024
After his minuscule £850k move to Empoli, Bennacer rapidly impressed with his increased game time making 77 appearances for the Italian side over a two-year period.
He helped the club secure a return to the Italian top-flight, before leaving at the end of the 2018/19 season, joining European giants AC Milan in a £13.5m deal – netting Empoli a hefty profit just two years after joining the club.
Bennacer has since taken his career to the next level, becoming an integral part of the Milan squad, helping them reach the Champions League semi-final back in the 2022/23 campaign – before falling to defeat to bitter rivals Inter.
Market Movers
Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the worldwide astronomical rises and falls of player transfer values.
Since his move to Milan five years ago, the 26-year-old has made 172 appearances for the Serie A side, with his market value skyrocketing as a result of his increased performance levels.
Bennacer’s stats after leaving Arsenal | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Season | Games | Goals | Assists |
2017/18 | 39 | 2 | 4 |
2018/19 | 38 | 0 | 2 |
2019/20 | 35 | 1 | 1 |
2020/21 | 30 | 0 | 5 |
2021/22 | 40 | 2 | 1 |
2022/23 | 40 | 3 | 2 |
2023/24 | 25 | 2 | 2 |
Total: | 247 | 10 | 17 |
Stats via Transfermarkt | |||
The “fantastic” talent, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, now has a €50m (£42m) release clause in his current deal – seeing a whopping 4841% increase on the fee that the Gunners sold him for seven years ago.
His talents would make him perfect for Arteta’s side, providing cover and depth for the likes of Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, who look set to miss the North London derby this weekend.
However, their loss is Milan’s gain, with the Algerian developing into a top-level talent who is capable of being a success at the very top level of European football.
