Strasbourg from France has recently become the most serious competitor to Benfica for the signing of Ibrahima Ba, a 21-year-old Senegalese centre-back, and the French club is committed to and wants to complete the deal as quickly as possible. Famalicão will only negotiate the transfer of Ba for a fee around €20 million. The player is also being monitored by clubs from several major leagues, including England, Spain, Germany, and France. Strasbourg's interest is related to the fact that Hugo Oliveira moved this summer from managing Famalicão to managing Strasbourg, a club owned by the BlueCo group which also owns Chelsea. A potential transfer appears to be progressing, as Ba did not take part in a recent friendly match for Famalicão, while Benfica continues to explore different ways to structure a deal, which could involve including their player Gonçalo Moreira. Ba, who joined Famalicão in July 2025, has a contract until 2030 and a current Transfermarkt market value of €12.00m; he made 23 appearances in the 2025/2026 Liga Portugal season, scoring one goal and providing one assist.