Ibrahima Ba chooses Strasbourg as Hugo Oliveira link sways decision | OneFootball

Benfica’s pursuit of Ibrahima Ba has collapsed, the defender opting for Strasbourg despite being Marco Silva’s priority for central defence. According to Glorioso 1904, Benfica worked hard on the deal but several factors drew the Senegal international away from Luz.

The pull of Strasbourg centres on a reunion with Hugo Oliveira, Benfica’s former goalkeeping coach from 2012 to 2016. Oliveira previously gave Ba his first-team chance in Minho, and the player believes staying beside the Portuguese will aid his development and open a path to a higher level.

Strasbourg’s connection with Chelsea also weighed heavily. Since joining the Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly-led group, the French club has acted as a development platform for talent bound for English football, with examples such as Andrey Santos and Diego Moreira strengthening Ba’s view that the route to the Premier League could be shorter.

Even direct contact from Marco Silva, who rates Ba and had him as his top target at centre-back, did not reverse the decision. Ba felt he could start behind Tomás Araújo and Clément Lenglet, particularly if António Silva remained in the squad.

Benfica must now reset their defensive plan. After Kévin Boma joined Salzburg, the hierarchy are accelerating talks for a more experienced centre-back, with Joshua Wynder, Gabriel Índio and Rui Silva still regarded as options for the future.

Source: Glorioso 1904