Arsenal have signed Ismael Bennacer from French side AC Arles-Avignon.
The 17-year-old was worried about signing for the Gunners, who are understood to have paid the Ligue 2 side £270k-a-week, and had to be reassured by Arsene Wenger that the Emirates was the right move for the youngster to make.
Despite reported interest from Manchester City, the central midfielder eventually signed a five-year deal with the Gunners after meeting and having a one-to-one with Wenger:
‘I was a little worried in my head about going abroad. I have never left home before, I thought about staying in France in order to accumulate game time too.
‘He [Wenger] told me that he was happy for me, that he thought I had the potential to succeed here.
‘That is what made me a little scared at the beginning, but when I saw the condition of the training centre, I realised that there isn’t a better place for me to progress.
‘It is up to me to prove myself, they gave me a five-year contract so they must have confidence in me.’
Bennacer becomes the second youngster to join Arsenal this summer, with Donyell Malen arriving from Ajax over a week ago.
Bennacer, who made seven appearances for AC Arles last season, may not be the type of signing Arsenal fans want to see come in this summer as the France Under-18 international wouldn’t be a player to contribute to the current senior squad.
However, it’s always reassuring to see that the young talent want to join Arsenal.
Who knows, Bennacer could be a future star at the club.
