Ibrahima Ba Out of Benfica's Orbit, Heading to Strasbourg

Ibrahima Ba, the 21-year-old Senegalese center-back, is no longer on Benfica's radar and is already en route to Strasbourg in Ligue 1. He didn't even train this morning in Famalicão.

The player had been identified by Benfica to bolster their defensive line, which is set to lose António Silva. However, Strasbourg, now managed by Portuguese coach Hugo Oliveira, who previously worked with Ba at Famalicão, presented a more compelling financial offer.

Famalicão stands to receive approximately €20 million for the transfer, with €15 million upfront and an additional €5 million contingent on performance-related objectives, which A BOLA understands are relatively achievable. Furthermore, Famalicão will retain between 10 and 15 percent of the player's economic rights, allowing them to capitalize on a potential future move to a larger club.

It's worth noting that Hugo Oliveira played a significant role in convincing Ibrahima Ba, but the financial scale of the operation also complicated matters for Marco Silva and Benfica, who will now need to explore alternative options.