Ibrahima Ba’s Strasbourg move collapses after medical as Benfica step back | OneFootball

Ibrahima Ba will not be joining Strasbourg after concerns in his medical. According to L'Équipe, the 21-year-old Senegal defender’s knee raised red flags, and the club cancelled the deal.

The centre-back, briefly at Valenciennes for one Ligue 2 appearance in March 2024, had agreed a four-year move. Famalicao and Strasbourg had settled on a fee of around €20m including add-ons, brokered by Jorge Mendes, while Benfica had also pursued him.

Earlier checks had highlighted an issue in one knee linked to an end-of-season injury with Famalicao. He is understood to have undergone an arthroscopy and a month of supervised rehab, then two MRIs in Portugal were said to show nothing, and he returned early to training, even playing a friendly against Famalicao’s U23s.

On Friday in Alsace, he underwent a battery of tests lasting about four and a half hours. A doctor oversaw the process on site, with results also reviewed from London, and Strasbourg decided not to proceed on the negotiated terms.

The episode echoes last summer, when Julio Enciso was set to arrive for about €17m before a knee issue emerged. He went back to England, then later signed for €9.5m. A similar outcome for Ba is uncertain, with his camp claiming Strasbourg reduced their salary proposal on the day of the medical.

After two intense days, Ba has returned to Portugal. He is not expected to sign for Benfica either, who have moved on to other options, while Famalicao remain determined to sell him this summer.

Source: L'Équipe