Milan have confirmed that Ismaël Bennacer has left the club after his contract was terminated by mutual consent, clearing the way for his move to Qatar.
The exit closes a chapter that never quite matched its early promise. Bennacer was once a fixture in the midfield, among the first names on the teamsheet, before a run of injuries pulled his career off course. A player who not long ago spoke openly about Ballon d'Or ambitions now leaves to play outside Europe.
The switch had been signposted earlier in the summer, when it emerged that Bennacer would head to Qatar once his contract situation was sorted. That last piece fell into place this evening, with Milan releasing a short statement to confirm the departure.
"AC Milan can confirm the termination of Ismaël Bennacer's contract by mutual consent," the club said. "The Club would like to wish him all the best for the future."
His time at San Siro will be remembered in two shades. On his best days he was a controlling, high-level midfielder capable of setting the tempo of a match. The way his exit dragged through the January 2025 window, however, soured the relationship for plenty of supporters, and that tension lingered right up to this final agreement.
Terminating the deal by mutual consent means Milan take him off the wage bill and free the space in the squad, a tidy outcome for both sides given how the situation had stalled. For the Rossoneri, it draws a line under one of the more frustrating sagas of recent windows and lets everyone move on.