Transfer news: Chelsea ready to offload striker Demba Ba in January as long as they can find a replacement
A list of potential targets includes Porto's Jackson Martinez and Jose Mourinho could tap into his former club to replace Ba
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Your support makes all the difference.Chelsea striker Demba Ba could leave the Premier League in January with reports suggesting that a move to Turkey could materialise after incurring a frustrating time at Stamford Bridge.
Ba has struggled to nail down a first team under both Rafael Benitez and Jose Mourinho, and he is yet to score in the Premier League this season, having netted just the once in the Champions League which came in last week’s victory over Schalke.
The Evening Standard is reporting that Chelsea will look to sell Ba in January as long as they can find a replacement for the Senegal international, and a list of targets has been drawn up which includes Porto’s Jackson Martinez.
A number of English sides were looking into the possibility of either buying or loaning Ba in the new year, including West Ham and Arsenal.
But the 28-year-old is also a target for Besiktas and significantly a key agent in the country Ceylan Caliskan has claimed: “I talk closely with Demba Ba, he wants to play for a Turkish club but I can’t comment on a transfer yet.”
Manager Jose Mourinho is believed to be travelling to Brussels today to watch Belgium’s friendly this evening against Columbia.
While it will give him an opportunity to see four Chelsea players in action – Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois - he will also get the chance to see two transfer targets that play for Columbia.
A move for Monaco striker Radamel Falcao is unlikely given that he only joined the Ligue 1 club for £51m in the summer, but Martinez is also on the wanted list and has admitted he wants to join a big club.
The 27-year-old has already scored 44 goals for Porto since joining them Mexican side Chiapas in 2012, but has a £35m release clause in his contract and is also cup-tied in the Champions League.
Tottenham also took a firm interest in buying the forward last summer before buying Roberto Soldado from Valencia instead and are still monitoring the situation, while he has also been linked with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United.
Martinez said: “The years are passing and one day I hope to make a good transfer. It clearly depends on Porto, a club that sells its players so well. Leaving or staying depends on Porto but I will only go if there's something concrete.
“Napoli were one of the clubs who tried to negotiate (last summer), but Porto didn't want to hear anything about it because they wanted me to stay. It is true that two of the clubs interested in me were British, but neither passed the first step of negotiations.”
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