The big news this morning is with Demba Ba, and not only that he seems unhappy at Newcastle ()rather suddenly it seems), but his wage demands have shocked the Tyneside club, and Alan Pardew admitted yesterday that the release clause of £7M again kicks in once the January transfer window opens.
Oh no – we have to go through all of that stuff again in January?
Demba Ba – after scoring on Monday night
And with his agents making it clear that he is unhappy with Newcastle because he was benched on Monday night, it seems his agents are trying to clear the way for the Senagal striker to move in the January transfer window, and it seems Arsenal are the club most interested.
Of course we should point out that the agents will also get a big pay-day if Demba Ba does leave Newcastle for some other club and it seems they are already itching for the move to be made in January.
This is what Alan Pardew said yesterday in Madeira, where he is preparing the team for tonight’s Europa League game with Maritimo:
“I have spoken to Demba about his agent and told him I was disappointed with some of the comments around him.” “Sometimes it’s out of his control and out of my control.”
“But we know each other well enough, and I’ve got no problems with him, because he is a team player who wants to do his best for the team. He has always been like that.”
“The situation with him is ongoing in terms of his contract, as there is that clause in there and it makes us vulnerable. That’s where we are. It’s still open in the next window.”
“I just think the agent stuff was people saying things they shouldn’t say, really. It doesn’t really affect myself and Demba, because we’ve got a very good relationship.”
“‘The bottom line is that you have to get your players to play at their best, and sometimes there are different methods for doing that.” “If I’m honest, he gave me exactly what I wanted when he went on at Everton.”
“But I knew there would be a response from him. Sometimes you’ve got to be honest, and I don’t think he’s played particularly well. The same can be said of Papiss Cisse, so he might have to deal with missing out next time.”
The report in the Daily Mail is that Newcastle officials are dismayed with Ba’s new wage demands, and remember he’s already on around £50K/week at Newcastle at the moment, and asked whether Ba could leave Newcastle in the January window Alan Pardew said that’s possible.
This is bad news for Newcastle, that we may lose one of our best strikers in the January window, and that will hardly help our season.
But hey, if he wants to leave for more money – and that seems to be the case – this stuff about him being unhappy seems like a smokescreen put up by his agents – then Newcastle should let him go – it’s just a pity we will not be able to get the full value for him.
We stopped pampering to star player’s wage demands a few years ago, and we should not start that again.
If Demba Ba wants to get more money at Arsenal – he should leave – but it would be better if he could stay at least through the full season.
And this again shows the disruptive force of agents in football, and something will have to be done to quell the disruptive power they are having in football.
What do you think?
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22 comments so far
toonarmydownsouth
Sep 20, 2012 at 9:11 AM
Comment #1Reading between the lines AP is telling dembas agent to fcuk right off!!!
Lee Dodd
Sep 20, 2012 at 9:11 AM
Comment #2More Media Hype- Thanks to The Agents AGAIN !!!
voodoo85
Sep 20, 2012 at 9:12 AM
Comment #3If (IF) he was to leave we would need 2 strikers in January – one who is young, hungry and has potential (maybe Adam Campbell could be this player) and we would need a striker that can get 15/20 a season.
Cisse has not hit the net yet and i am sure he will but its a worry when we have only 2 strikers at the club (who play regularly) and the one that starts the season well could be sold in January
Feel this will be resolved with a new contract, new terms but nowhere near double – maybe a 10k increase and Ba will still be here but i would rather this was not happening
wynsleap
Sep 20, 2012 at 9:21 AM
Comment #4Why has our talkative manager announced this clause about Ba? It seems to me that it’s not only his agents who are angling for his move but the club itself.
Quite honestly this clause situation is becoming the biggest bore since the Debuchy non-transfer.
spitfire_
Sep 20, 2012 at 9:22 AM
Comment #5Ebola for Ba’s agent… and Redknapp… just for fun. If Ba want to stay then good… if he doesn’t want… it’s fine by me. He take one of the big wages in the club and if this is not enough I suggest him to go to the money grabbers at QPR. I’n not gonna lose my sleep for some greedy pr!cks.
Transfer Sage
Sep 20, 2012 at 9:28 AM
Comment #6No harm done in padre saying it. It will be common knowledge around football clubs, agents and clubs always speak. Still no need to bring it up though.
This could explain why pardew is trying to appease Ba though. Let him play in the middle, sign a new contract without a release clause the play him wherever he wants. Least then if he leaves we get top money for him.
jesperfuglsang
Sep 20, 2012 at 9:29 AM
Comment #7Ed, I don’t think Ba is on £50k a week, probably closer to the £40k mark or less.
I have wonderful things about the Arsenal bench; they do keep is nice and clean with some luxury features as well 😉
Maybe Newcastle should some more money on the bench – it seems it cn attact star players and at the same time keep our on stars happy 😀
Board: Please upgrade the bench (stop spending all the money on youth setup, it the bench that’s the future)
jesperfuglsang
Sep 20, 2012 at 9:30 AM
Comment #8*have = hear
lucasnufc
Sep 20, 2012 at 9:39 AM
Comment #9Ba is clearly unhappy, and it really irritates me because he has no reason to be. Ever since Cisse arrived he’s had a chip on his shoulder like the little kid who’s baby brother is now getting more attention than him. No player is bigger than the club, and the board and the fans shouldn’t pander to him. Fans shouldn’t have to give Ba extra support to keep him around just because he had to play on the left. He needs to grow up.
Belly
Sep 20, 2012 at 9:44 AM
Comment #10He’s asking for £100k a week apparently.
He can jog on for me especially if these type of roumours continue. It’s only going to upset the rest if the squad. I do love big Ba however and i do hope the situation is resolved, hopefully he sacks his agent or agents. This is a big year for us regarding contracts for players bought in the summer of 2011. Including the likes of Cabaye, Marv and Obertoon.
I’m sure the club won’t be backed into a corner and that they will stand firm. I could see us loosing one or two players in jan or at the end of the season. I just hope we are better prepared for upcoming transfer windows for incoming players. Unlike we were this summer. We really need to play well tonight and on sat. I hope that Colo and Tiote are back soon. We look so much more solid when they are in the team.
Valci
Sep 20, 2012 at 9:49 AM
Comment #11I actually won’t hold this against Ba. I believe he is the better of our senior strikers if i’m honest and just cause Cisse had half a season of prolific goalscoring that won’t change. That’s just my opinion ofc. But the way i think he sees it himself is that he is the better and in form striker and is being benched. And i admit that i would find that unfair too if i were in that situation.
I wonder which of them has the bigger wage…hmm…in any event, it seems like a classic case of rivalry to me. Guess we will see how it all works out come the January transfer window.
Jackson1989
Sep 20, 2012 at 9:56 AM
Comment #12god pardew is stressing me out of late, play a f***ing 4312, itll work, buy debuchy n jan and thy our squad of krul debuchy taylor colo santon tiote anita cabaye benny ba n cisse wud be epic, it would b the stuff of dreams having 3 cms protecting our 2 cb while santon and debuchy smash forward
ToonJovi
Sep 20, 2012 at 9:59 AM
Comment #13I’d presume Ba wud currently be on around 35-40k p/w which is also based on appearance due to past injury problems. In a wage structure which again I’d presume reaches up to around 65-75k for the likes of Collocini & Jonas.
So he isn’t on level terms with the highest payed and not only that it’s likely he isn’t even getting paid his agreed 35-40k if he is sat on the bench with how his contract was initially set up. Hence why his agent could be trying to almost force him through a move if he does regularly become 2nd choice.
Hopefully I’m wrong but wud make sence of all this agents talk after 1 start in the bench.
HullMag6
Sep 20, 2012 at 10:18 AM
Comment #14That confirms it, I hate agents. If ba goes for money good luck to him. Carr will have potential replacements lined up/identified. No need to stress.
Whoarya.com
Sep 20, 2012 at 10:21 AM
Comment #15Next?
toonarmydownsouth
Sep 20, 2012 at 10:25 AM
Comment #16Hullmag
I think agents are scum tbh there just leaches who latch on to a pay day and then ride that player to a bigger pay day every window they should do what there actually paid to do look out for the players best intrest not theres, also keep there mouths shut there agents not PR’s
jayjo
Sep 20, 2012 at 10:28 AM
Comment #17All ,. i can truly say i dont care if BA goes …. Get us through to January , we dont paly with two strikers and either BA or Cisse will be benched week in week out . Why dont we look at the kids or replace BA in January wit ha striler who is young and keen to learn , Also but a left sided winger / Midfielder so we can play a genuine 4 3 3
Krul
Simo . saylor , colla ,. Santo
Cabaye , Tiote ,
Benni
Guiti & ????
Cisse
Cool Hand Luke
Sep 20, 2012 at 10:36 AM
Comment #18Toonjovi. Spot on, he’s on a medium sized basic pay and a bonus structure, because of that knee. I can’t see who else would offer him more, unless he goes to the likes of QPR or West Ham. That agent needs to stop whispering sweet nothings in his ear and remember that a number of clubs actually passed up the chance to sign him. He will be one of the top warmers IF like our argentine boys he stays loyal and consistently performs, i wouldn’t want it any other way.
Cool Hand Luke
Sep 20, 2012 at 10:38 AM
Comment #19Warmers = earners
markmac
Sep 20, 2012 at 10:41 AM
Comment #20sounds like AP wants rid to me! by telling everyone the clause is still active???!!!??
magicbus
Sep 20, 2012 at 12:09 PM
Comment #21Could leave should be Will leave. There must be some idiot owner out there willing to pay his demands.
Constanstine
Sep 20, 2012 at 5:18 PM
Comment #22In one or two years time, all our top players will be demanding high wage. Players like Ben Arfa, Cabaye, Ba, Cisse can easily get 80k+ other place else.