Ba going nowhere in January

Posted on January 10th, 2012 | 35 Comments |

Demba Ba's alleged release clause should be no worry for Newcastle this January.
Safe. For now at least?
Newcastle United striker Demba Ba’s release clause has caused quite a stir but this writer tends to think it’s a storm in a tea cup, at least as far as the January transfer window is concerned.

On the back of my esteemed colleague’s recent posts regarding Demba Ba’s release clause and his PSG ambitions, it seems that clubs are queueing up to buy him. Or at least it looks that way if press reports are to be believed.

The release clause in his contract is either £10m, £7m, £5m or “less than £5m” depending upon which report you believe and how much creedence you give to Harry Redknapp’s comments.

Liverpool lead the suitors, which is probably no surprise given their proclivity for buying from Newcastle and in particular buying strikers from us in the January transfer window. Spurs are supposedly interested too and apparently Sunderland, Everton and QPR have had their interest piqued by the release clause’s alleged low value. You can see why when there’s seemingly an option to pick up a 15 goal (in half a season) striker for peanuts.

However, it’s worth remembering that all a release clause does is that it forces the selling the club to allow the player to enter into negotiations with the buying club once the fee in the release clause is met. The player can’t be forced to move against his will and there’s nothing to stop the selling club from trying to renegotiate some sort of contract to keep the player.

And Ba himself has said:

“I am in Newcastle, the fans like me, and the transfer market will be closed when I go back, so I am not focused on it. My first goal is the African Cup of Nations, and getting a good result, then I want to continue playing well for Newcastle.

“We have started something and I would like to go all the way with the club.”

So if we take what Ba said at face value and add into that the complications of the ACoN, I’ll stick my neck out and suggest that no club is going to be whisking Demba Ba away from us this January.

Furthermore, The Journal reports that Newcastle may indeed be looking to renegotiate Ba’s contract to have that release clause removed, or at least raised. Whether there’s any truth in the Journal’s report and we do renegotiate a contract remains to be seen, but I think we’ll have time beyond this month to do so if we wish. As it stands, the release clause is likely to have been a bargaining chip in Newcastle’s negotiation of Ba’s 3-year contract; apparently his salary is not particularly high but he’s on a a decent bonus scheme for goals and appearances and the release clause would be some form of ‘protection’ for him, allowing a relatively easy way to get out if for some reason he found himself on the sidelines.

I would suggest that enquiries have certainly been made about Ba though, otherwise I can’t see how Harry Redknapp claims to know so much about Demba Ba’s contract. Surely these things are confidential until a genuinely interested party makes some sort of formal enquiry, aren’t they?

NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen I'm a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion, currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life where locals keep trying to poison me with something called 'scrumpy'. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he's not worth 10). Hugh de Payen has written 634 articles on this blog.

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Posted on by Hugh de Payen in category: Contracts and Demba Ba and Hugh de Payen and NUFC gossip and speculation and Thoughts and reflections and Transfers , with tags:
Comment on this post

35 Responses

  1. so let’s shut up about it then, eh? There’s nowt to worry about except worry it’s self.

    so then, where’s all these players our europe-wide super scouts have found for us? Let’s have other clubs worrying about us !

  2. I think Redknapps’attitude stinks! He is a crook and I wouldnt put it past him visiting Demba in Africa!
    I agree Hugh that he will be with us at least to the end of the season.
    If he does leave it would surely be only to a “bigger team” and I cant see them taking the risk we have on his knee.

  3. funny only a couple of weeks ago we were talking about tiote and other possible Newcastle players leaving now with all the news of ba everything has died down.

  4. the fact is that every one (including the club) accepts that we need to bring in players, and we have scouted dozens of them – so after a week, where are they?

    nothing is happening anywhere ! Nobody’s carefully made plans are swinging into action – nobody’s buying or selling. Is it just the african cup or is everybody hard up?
    Or are we heading for the last day, last hour, last minute madness again?

  7. Sticking me neck out a bit here but I predict no one will leave this window. Both Tiote and Ba are at the ACoN all of this window and therefore any negotiations would be virtually impossible for these two. I also think it is only a matter of time until new contracts are agreed with Simpson and more importantly Capn Collo as well.

    Incoming, I expect to see a CB and if we are lucky a striker of some sort will also be signed. When Ba returns he will no doubt be offered a vastly improved contract that means if any one wants him they will have to pay through the nose for him as is only right considering how well he has done to date.

    I am not surprised that no one has come in yet, especially in January transfers tend to happen towards the end of the window due to teams being cagy and cautious about doing business half way through a season when such things can adversley affect you final league position at the end of the season.

  8. As far as where the information might have come from, the obvious suspects are agents. They often “let it be known” either to get a move for their man or to get a better contract. Hopefully it’s the latter.

  9. Hugh de Payen says: Supermac, it call be going on quietly, outside of the press’s notice.
    true mate – but why the delay then?
    reports say we have gone to france to talk to Erding again, and that Maiga could accept a loan deal – we know all we need to know about these lads so if our scouting system is as good as thay claim then all this should have been sorted out before the window opened.

  10. Huh. I’ve seen his comments on PSG rendered differently, as if he concluded with “I want to go all the way” without indicating exactly what that means.

    Personally, I’m still worried about Ba-there are a couple of struggling teams in this division who can’t score goals (QPR, Bolton) who may well look to try and buy some. Ba’s a risk, sure-but at possibly 4-5M, he isn’t that much of a risk.

    I’m just hoping that none of the big clubs are interested, as I don’t think he’ll go for a lateral move-but I have no argument to back that, it’s just my opinion. PSG worry me very much.

    Frankly, I think we may see a defender come in and we may yet see a player or two go. Total silence about Colo’s contract is ominous.

  11. You seem like a bit of a worrier tunyc, chill man, there’s worse stuff out there to worry about mate.
    What will be be, will be.

  12. CLiNT FLiCK says: “What will be be, will be.”

    Only sometimes though. Take my prescription Oakley sunglasses for example (you didn’t, did you?) they should definitely be but certainly aren’t as far as I can tell. They have simply disappeared just a few weeks before I go on holiday and need them. Last seen on my nose.

  18. Yeah, I do seem to have a particular problem with sunglasses. I have never, for example, lost my hat, even though it took a train journey on its own once (hats like to travel).

  20. workyticket says: “Can’t stand having anything perched on my nose.”

    In most cases that would be spectacles. Or do you have a particular problem with, say, Golden Eagles perching on your nose regularly?

  21. Hugh,

    :lol:

    ‘Have hat, will travel’?

    worky,

    shades cut down headaches mate.
    Amongst other things.

    :mrgreen:

  24. BelfastToon says:
    January 10, 2012 at 10:49 am

    “I think Redknapps’attitude stinks! He is a crook and I wouldnt put it past him visiting Demba in Africa!”

    Toonale says:
    January 10, 2012 at 2:58 pm

    “@2
    Ba will have to visit Rednapp in Durham Jail”

    I can definitely “feel the love” for the saggy supremo on this and other Newcastle United blogs / forums etc.

  25. You guys actually need shades in ole blighty? Didn’t know the sun was even visible there. Here the sunlight feels more like microwaves.

  27. Tripp,

    we’re east coast mate.
    It always rains in the west, particularly north west.
    :cool:

  29. Clint, there’s a Geordie – Yid fight gannin’ on in the other room over Droopy Dog’s recant comments on Ba. Thought you’d be there for that! :-)

  31. Got my shades from some strange guy called Zaphod something or t’other. They are brilliant for not seeing things.

  32. worky,

    i’ve hoyed in me 10p mate.

    Anyway, i only join in when it’s absolutely ridiculous.

    :)

  35. I never expected him to leave this transfer window anyway but i’m not so sure what will happen in the summer. I’d be no less disappointed to lose him in the summer than this January.