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Newcastle may lose Demba Ba for £7 million if rivals are willing to trigger release clause
The existence of the clause was leaked to rival Premier League managers and the media just before the January transfer window, fuelling the belief the striker was keen to leave.
That was denied by Ba when he returned from the Africa Cup of Nations, though he has not been drawn into publicly pledging departure his future to the club beyond this summer and Newcastle United mananger Alan Pardew has privately acknowledged it is far from certain he will stay.
Newcastle, who signed Reims midfielder Romain Amalfitano on a free transfer on Wednesday, could have tried to remove the clause by offering the Senegal international an increase in his £50,000 weekly wage.
But managing director Derek Llambias will not be forced into offering improved terms to a player after just 12 successful months as he feels this would be a dangerous precedent.
Ba scored 16 goals in his first season on Tyneside, but did not manage a single one of them after Feb 5 and the arrival of compatriot Papiss Demba Cisse.
As a result, Ba, will be able to talk to any club who bids £7million when the transfer window opens next month, with Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United already linked to him.
Newcastle have lined up FC Twente striker Luuk De Jong as a replacement, although there is a chance Ba will find it difficult to complete a move because of long-standing medical concerns.
The 26-year-old Ba’s proposed £5 million move from Hoffenheim to Stoke City in 2010 collapsed because of an old knee injury, while a switch to Stuttgart a year earlier was also called off following a medical.
Ba subsequently joined West Ham on loan and has not missed a game because of the injury for Newcastle, but insurance could still be a problem for any interested parties to activate the release clause.
Meanwhile, Amalfitano, 22, has been signed to replace Danny Guthrie, who is expected to join Aston Villa in the next few weeks.
The existence of the clause was leaked to rival Premier League managers and the media just before the January transfer window, fuelling the belief the striker was keen to leave.
That was denied by Ba when he returned from the Africa Cup of Nations, though he has not been drawn into publicly pledging departure his future to the club beyond this summer and Newcastle United mananger Alan Pardew has privately acknowledged it is far from certain he will stay.
Newcastle, who signed Reims midfielder Romain Amalfitano on a free transfer on Wednesday, could have tried to remove the clause by offering the Senegal international an increase in his £50,000 weekly wage.
But managing director Derek Llambias will not be forced into offering improved terms to a player after just 12 successful months as he feels this would be a dangerous precedent.
Ba scored 16 goals in his first season on Tyneside, but did not manage a single one of them after Feb 5 and the arrival of compatriot Papiss Demba Cisse.
As a result, Ba, will be able to talk to any club who bids £7million when the transfer window opens next month, with Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United already linked to him.
Newcastle have lined up FC Twente striker Luuk De Jong as a replacement, although there is a chance Ba will find it difficult to complete a move because of long-standing medical concerns.
The 26-year-old Ba’s proposed £5 million move from Hoffenheim to Stoke City in 2010 collapsed because of an old knee injury, while a switch to Stuttgart a year earlier was also called off following a medical.
Ba subsequently joined West Ham on loan and has not missed a game because of the injury for Newcastle, but insurance could still be a problem for any interested parties to activate the release clause.
Meanwhile, Amalfitano, 22, has been signed to replace Danny Guthrie, who is expected to join Aston Villa in the next few weeks.
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