Chelsea Transfer News: Selling Demba Ba to Arsenal Would Be a Mistake

Arsenal have made a late enquiry to Chelsea for out-of-favour Chelsea forward Demba Ba ahead of Monday night's transfer deadline. Goal.com reporter Wayne Veysey shared the news.

Ba, who only joined Chelsea in January, has slipped down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, having scored just two league goals since his arrival at the club.

With Fernando Torres, Romelu Lukaku and Samuel Eto'o all now ahead of him in the hunt for a first-team place, it seems likely that the Senegalese striker will move on before the deadline.

The interest from the Gunners, who lack experienced striking alternatives to Olivier Giroud, is understandable. However, would Chelsea really sell Ba to a direct league rival? That would seem somewhat unlikely.

Arsenal may not be widely thought of as a potential challenger for the league title, but it would still not be a move that is worth risking in Chelsea's current position.

Although Ba may not have hit the ground running at Stamford Bridge, he is undoubtedly a dangerous player when used in a team where he is a central figure—as his goalscoring record at both West Ham and Newcastle clearly demonstrates.

Over the course of his first two years in the Premier League, the striker scored 36 goals in 66 league games. While those figures may not compare with the league's elite forwards, they are still outstanding totals in what must be regarded as lesser teams.

Were Chelsea to sell to Arsenal, then, there is a real possibility that Ba could come back to hurt them later in the campaign—either as a direct opponent in the two encounters between the sides, or by helping Arsenal to an unexpected challenge for honours.

Thus, for the sake of the Blues' title hopes, it would surely be best to seek an alternative destination for their unwanted asset—whether that be abroad or lower down the Premier League spectrum.

There is, of course, always the possibility that Ba does not leave Stamford Bridge this summer, although it remains to be seen whether the player himself would be content to remain on the bench.

Given Ba's significant earnings as well as the need for clubs to pay close attention to Financial Fair Play rules, it would seem inevitable that he would be allowed to move on if a decent offer was made.

That offer, though, would need to be from a club that Chelsea would consider selling a first-team player to. At present, Arsenal would be unlikely to fit that category.