Schalke beat Standard Liège & Deportivo de La Coruña for Grenoble ace Pape Meïssa Ba

According to a report from Foot Mercato Grenoble forward and Ligue 2 top scorer Pape Meïssa Ba (27) is set to join Bundesliga 2 side Schalke imminently. The Senegalese striker, who has been the top scorer in French the third tier and then this season in Ligue 2, has scored 10 goals and provided two assists so far this season – emerging as one of the best attacking talents in the division.

Yet with Grenoble lingering in mid-table after sacking manager Oswald Tanchot, the writing has looked on the wall for the former Red Star FC forward. Schalke were not the only club interested in signing Ba, with Deportivo de La Coruña and Standard Liège having also expressed their interest in the player.

Ba has been in French football since the 2021, where he played in ESTAC Troyes’ reserve side. He then moved to Paris suburban side Red Star FC in 2021, and was the top scorer in the Championnat National (third tier) in the 2021-2022 season before joining Grenoble that summer. He first struggled at Grenoble before hitting a purple patch in form this season with GF38, scoring 10 in 18 games.

GFFN | George Boxall