Demba Ba must pick love or money
When Demba Ba arrived at St James' Park last summer, it's fair to say that both Newcastle United and the striker took a gamble over a transfer that few expected to be so successful.
Ba arrived with a history of knee problems, while he also arrived at a club that never seems too far away from controversy.
The 16-goal star started slowly - which his manager later put down to his participation in Ramadan - but there was a time when it looked like the Senegal striker couldn't miss.
Ba now finds himself at a crossroads, with the chance to activate his release clause and earn a lucrative contract elsewhere surely tempting for any footballer given their careers at the top level are short.
Ba, who has a degenerative knee condition, at 27 won't get too many more chances of a big move in his career.
And while some fans are anxious to see the player nail his colours to the mast, others can see why Ba would quit.
It would appear that the last few weeks have very much been a case of Ba weighing up his options.
He may well earn more money elsewhere but in terms of playing on one of the biggest stages in the Premier League with European football to boot, it might not get much bigger than Newcastle.
Ba is yet to assure fans of his future but with pre-season fast approaching, Alan Pardew can start making plans.
Either way the sooner the situation is sorted out the better for both Newcastle, Ba and the fans who chanted his name throughout both his goal rush and goal drought last season.
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Lee Ryder - Proudly born and bred on Tyneside, the Chronicle's chief sports writer has followed the fortunes of the club over the last three decades as a Toon fan and football writer.
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