Options are open for wanted Chelsea striker Ba
Published:
With Jose Mourinho fielding a team without a recognised striker for their fixture against Manchester United, questions were quickly raised about the future of both Fernando Torres and Demba Ba.
With Torres set to stay and showing a glimpse of his old form with a neat finish in the Super Cup, Ba’s role this season is far from decided.
Despite Mourinho bringing in Samuel Eto’o, Senegalese international Ba is 5/6 to stay with Chelsea this season with himself and Torres the only other striking options for the Europa League winners now their quest for Wayne Rooney has ended.
The 28-year-old is very much a wanted commodity, however, and could yet end up leaving Stamford Bridge before the transfer window closes.
A return to Newcastle, where Ba is still held in high regard for his 16 goals which helped the club to their memorable 5th place in 2012, is priced at 5/4.
But he has netted just twice in the league since his move to London in January, and has struggled to fill the void left by the talismanic Didier Drogba.
Papiss Cisse remains at the north-east club and Loic Remy has joined on loan, but after a slow start to the season with just one goal in their opening three games, a move to bring Ba back to St James is something that could please both club and player.
West Ham are also in the frame at 8/1, and could offer Ba a return to the club where he bagged seven in just twelve games during a six-month spell in 2011.
Sam Allardyce may need to offload a couple of players to bring the frontman in, but with the club lacking an out-and-out quality goalscorer, the striker could be the answer to their problems.
Former Hoffenheim man Ba could leave England and the Premier League altogether, with Roma 6/1 to get his signature on the dotted line.
The Serie A side have seen attacking talent fly out of the Italian capital this summer, with Pablo Osvaldo signing for Southampton and Erik Lamela switching to Tottenham in big money deals.
The duo combined to score 31 goals in the league last season as Roma finished 6th with the third-highest goals total in Serie A.
With Ba approaching what should be the finest years of his career, a move to become the main striker in a side where Francesco Totti still pulls the strings could prove very tempting.
Bet Now. New customers can bet £10 and get £30 in free bets
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
