Benfica join race for Sporting target valued at £15m | OneFootball

Ibrahima Ba continues to gain prominence in the market, and Benfica are the latest club to join the list of teams interested in the Famalicão centre-back. The 21-year-old is also one of the names identified by Sporting to strengthen the heart of the defence if Ousmane Diomande leaves Alvalade in this summer transfer window.

The information was reported by Pedro Sousa, director of Correio da Manhã Rádio, and confirmed by the newspaper Record. Even so, the Senegal under-21 international is not, at this stage, a priority for the Eagles, who are continuing to monitor the situation.

According to the same source, Benfica would only consider moving forward with the signing of Ibrahima Ba if António Silva or Tomás Araújo are transferred. The structure led by Rui Costa is looking for a more experienced centre-back and, preferably, a left-footed one, a profile considered ideal to bring balance to the defensive unit.

On Sporting's side, the young defender’s name remains highly rated. Sporting’s officials see Ibrahima Ba as a possible solution to fill the gap left by a potential Diomande departure, one of the squad’s most valuable assets, who continues to attract interest from Europe’s top leagues.

For now, there have been no concrete developments from either club. Recently, Famalicão renewed the player’s contract until 2030 and is targeting a transfer fee of no less than €15 million, a figure that reflects the centre-back’s growing market value.

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