Doha, September 14 (QNA) - Al Gharafa announced Monday that they had signed Algerian international Ismael Bennacer on a free transfer after he mutually terminated his contract with Italian club AC Milan last month.

Al Gharafa did not disclose the length of Bennacer's contract. The club posted a video on its X account accompanied by the caption: "Ismael Bennacer, a Gharafa player."

Bennacer, who plays as a defensive midfielder, spent last season on loan at Croatia's Dinamo Zagreb, making 19 appearances in all competitions, scoring one goal and providing two assists.

Bennacer previously played for Italian club Empoli before joining Milan in 2019. He also spent time on loan at French club Marseille.

At the international level, he played for Algeria at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and was named the tournament's best player after Algeria won the title.

Bennacer is expected to make his Al Gharafa debut against Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal on Tuesday in the opening round of the league stage of the AFC Champions League Elite.

Al Gharafa are ninth in the Qatari league standings with four points. (QNA)