Pardew: Issue over Ba medical and “other suitors”.

Posted on June 17th, 2011 | 26 Comments |

Demba Ba.
Ba: Medical issues says Pardew.
In a rare interview, Newcastle United manager, Alan Pardew, has revealed that the deal for former West Ham and Hoffenheim striker, Demba Ba, is far from done, and that “other suitors” and, unsurprisingly, potential medical problems are the issue.

Ba, who suffers from a degenerative knee condition previously failed a medical at Stoke City before being taken on by now relegated West Ham last season. On the problem, Pardew told Radio Newcastle:

“I don’t think it’s any mystery that we’re getting close to tying that up.”

“He’s a player who’s got a natural eye for a goal and my connections at West Ham, as you would imagine, are very very good and I know everything about him, and therefore I’m pretty relaxed that he’s gonna be a success at Newcastle if we can get him.”

With a note of caution though, the Cockney supremo added:

“That’s a big if at the moment because there’s some big hurdles to get across.

“There’s obviously other suitors and there is an issue about his medical and there has been in the past.

“We’ve got to overcome those things, but hopefully he can join the club. I think he’ll be a big success for us.

As we have mentioned in previous ‘blogs, the striker should be available on a free transfer as allegedly, his West Ham contract had a clause which would release the player from his contract shoulld West Ham be relegated. He scored 7 goals in 19 games for the East London club, and a very creditable 40 goals in 103 games for 1899 Hoffenheom in the German Bundesliga.

We shall of course endeavour to keep you abreast any further developments.

NUFCBlog Author: workyticket workyticket has written 1096 articles on this blog.

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Comment on this post

26 Responses

  1. I’m getting bored with all this shyte now, is he, isn’t he, will he, won’t he… just do it for feck sake…!!!

  2. The macpies are wellcome to him, if he and others were that good westham would not have been relegated – saves us a lot of money for a bit of a punt – COYIs

  3. This is truly unnerving. Players leaving by the boatload and the new boys suddenly not so surely on board.

  5. Macpies taking WHU cast offs, Partridge, Ba? do you want Cole next cos you are welcome boyyos – COYIs

  6. chill out doom mongerers. i feel ashamed to be a toon fan alot these days, our fans r amongst the most negative bunch ever.

    just relax, im sure we will get Ba, Pardew is just being cautious, he aint gona say “yeah he difinately signed” and then the guy ahs a change of heart n chooses sum other club last minute.

    take it easy, if it happens it happens.

  8. When Pardew says his contacts at West Ham are very, very good, does he mean the girl on reception that he was caught bonking whilst manager at the club?

  9. Jack says:
    June 17, 2011 at 3:57 pm

    “The macpies are wellcome to him, if he and others were that good westham would not have been relegated”

    Firstly, it is ‘magpie’s’ not ‘macpie’

    Did you not manage to get relegated in 2003 with players such as David James, Joe Cole, Jermain Defoe, Michael Carrick, Glen Johnson and paolo Di Canio…They were all crap I suppose…

  10. Why are we trying to buy a crocked player (again) – we got rid of Andy Carroll (for good money) now can’t we buy a striker who isn’t injured?

  11. Nolan is much better suited to West Ham than he would be to the way we want to play in the Premiership next season (with more pace and movement).

    On strikers, we need at least two so we should decide on a positive move on another striker whilst the Ba deal is in limbo. Maybe we secretly have/are?!

  12. I suspect that the club, being fully aware of Ba’s medical condition, are playing tough.

    I would imagine that there will be clauses in his employment contract, should it come to that, which cover his medical condition that allow the club to dispense with his services without any adverse financial repercusions to the club.

    I also think that Ba will not be first choice in the forward line. Given his medical history and the risk to the team, I think the club will buy a top goal scoring forward who will be first choice.

  13. This is definitely a deal that the club has to think very careful about. These degenerative conditions can be serious, and as the name suggests, get worse over time. For this reason I’d still like to sign the guy, as his goal record is strong, but I’d be hesitant to offer him too long of a contract, just in case that knee deteriorates faster than anticipated. That seems like a sensible approach to a player like this. Could a pay-as-you-play deal be explored I wonder?

    As mentioned, his goal record is very creditable, and the fact that he managed 103 games at Hoffenheim in 3 and a half years would suggest that the knee thing hasn’t kept him out too much in the past.

    I don’t know where all this talk about players leaving by the boatload comes from? I know Kevin Nolan’s waistline is getting bigger by the day, but I think calling the bloke a boat is a bit strong! After all, he’s the only person we’ve sold in this window to my knowledge, apart from releasing Campbell and Kuqi who never played anyway and most fans moaned about them being at the club in the first place…

    And Jack, just cos a player isn’t good enough to save the leagues bottom team in half a season doesn’t exactly make the bloke crap! His goal record was 7 in 12 in the league, which I suggest is a lot better than the rest of the west ham strike force. Might want to look a bit closer at the “stars” who were there the whole season…

  14. @10

    Well apparently we aren’t “buying” him because apparently he’s a freebie. Only risk is his contract and I would imagine 1 of the things delaying the deal are contract clauses relating to his dodgy knee.

  17. Notice how he has got a 3 year deal, taking him up to 29.

    Like Tiote’s contract 29.

    Cabaye 29.

    It must be the magic number :-)

  19. Jimbob says:
    June 17, 2011 at 4:48 pm

    “Notice how he has got a 3 year deal, taking him up to 29.

    Like Tiote’s contract 29.

    Cabaye 29.

    It must be the magic number”

    The Arsenal model Jimbob. They used to have far more success when their team was laced with experienced matchwinners such as Adans, Viera and Bergkamp though.

  21. Worky,

    I got no problem with it but interestingly guess who signed for Newcastle when he was 28 and had his best seasons in his early 30’s, helping us reach the CL in 2003.

    Hint, there is a video of him on this blog.

    :-)

  22. I think its the right way to go worky. Secure em for their best years, then you can give em a year to year extension after that if they’re still up to scratch, and if you get a new contract, your pay will reflect the job you can still do. As you say, it’s how arsenal do it, except I think they bring in the 1 year rule at 30.

    Of course, as sensible as this model undoubtedly is, it only works if the club is willing to be firm and not be afraid to tell the bigger personalities that they can either like it or lump it, something Kevin Nolan has recently found out. If it was good enough for the likes of Bergkamp and co, then it should damn well be good enough for the likes of him.

  23. If he coes good, we have a song. To the old 1950’s pop hit “Oh. my papa”

    “Oh, Demba Ba, to me he is so wonderful,
    Oh, Demba Ba, to me he is so good.

  24. “n a rare interview, Newcastle United manager, Alan Pardew,”…

    …according to this and other blogs, Alan Pardew does not do a ‘rare interview’: Indeed some would wish he’d simply shutup and do his job.

    Sell low and buy, well something.

  25. Ba says he is happy with us, and that also after speaking to Ben Arfa, Ben is happy here too. I likey.

  26. Him gettin number 19 should at least show we are still after a number 9…

    Unless they have retired the shirt now :-)