Chelsea are holding serious talks with Newcastle striker Demba Ba to discuss a January move to Stamford Bridge (h/t Daily Mail), and they're smart to do so, as he'd make an immediate impact and fit well with the current squad.
There are certainly more well-known names in the transfer market that Chelsea have been linked to, such as Gonzalo Higuain and Radamel Falcao (h/t International Business Times). But there are plenty of reasons why Ba would be the better fit—other than how inexpensive it would be to print his two-letter last name on jerseys.
For starters, Ba is already accustomed to the Premier League and has been tearing it up. Since he joined the league in 2011, he's already notched 36 goals combined in his tenures with West Ham and Newcastle.
The 27-year-old is also right in the prime of his career. He's seasoned enough to be a veteran, but not aged enough to be labeled old. A look at the stats sheet and it's obvious he's scoring more goals now than he ever has.
The Senegalese striker also carries a surprisingly low transfer price, as most reports hover around the £7-10 million mark.
To put that price into perspective, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich (h/t Daily Mail) was apparently ready to make Atletico Madrid's Falcao the club's highest-paid player at £10 million...per year!
With the potential arrival of Falcao, recently-favored striker Fernando Torres would quickly be nudged out of the door just as his form seems to be returning. Torres is usually one of the most bashed soccer players, but it's important to remember he's only been around since 2011.
Torres is still growing into Chelsea's elite striker, so the purchase of Falcao would just prove that the Spaniard's 2011 purchase was a complete waste of money.
Meanwhile, bringing in Ba would allow Chelsea to put a skilled goal-scorer aside Torres and Eden Hazard.
He'd also bring almost twice as many goals this season (13) as Chelsea's leading goal scorer!
Upon looking at the specifics, this move seems more and more obvious. Ba has proven he belongs on a top-flight club and comes at a very affordable price. Chelsea need goal-scoring up front and to save some money in order to find an elite midfielder to replace Frank Lampard over the summer.
At the very least, Ba would bring some second-half scoring momentum off the bench for those games where Torres just isn't getting it done.
And he'd likely fit into a starting lineup that would rival Manchester United's scoring attack, which is exactly what Chelsea need in this upcoming January transfer window.
What are your thoughts? Comment below, or hit me up on Twitter.
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~Bleacher Report - Chelsea~Read more... Chelsea Transfer Rumors: Blues Must Bring in Newcastle Striker Demba Ba
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