10 Players Who Probably Regret Joining Chelsea
8. Demba Ba
Demba Ba has nearly signed for so many different Premier League clubs, from Stoke City to Arsenal, but when he did finally make the step up to the level of title-chasing Chelsea, he was ultimately found wanting. Despite his apparent strops at starting some games on the bench or being played out of position, both in order to accommodate the newly-acquired Papiss Cisse, Ba still plundered 29 league goals in 18 months at Newcastle United.
A born finisher, Chelsea thought they were getting an efficient Premier League marksman when they activated the £7 million release clause in the Senegalese internationals contract. Alas, the fabled curse of the Chelsea striker took hold of Ba, as he registered a pitiful two league goals in his first half-season, before following that up with five in his only full season at the club.
Finding himself behind the equally profligate Samuel Etoo and Fernando Torres in the pecking order, Ba was reduced to sporadic first-team appearances, although he did weigh in with crucial goals against PSG in the Champions League quarter-final and that famous Anfield goal which will be remembered with great fondness at Eastlands for seasons to come.
''Im looking to leave Chelsea. I want to play the full 90 minutes, get the maximum number of games and enjoy myself. Ive not done that very much this season, and I doubt things will change for me here. Jose Mourinho has never explained his decisions to me. I am honestly surprised that I have been this patient. Earlier in my career, I would have cracked up or blown a fuse. If I leave them, I mustnt make a mistake. Ba, 2014.
Having recently ended his Chelsea frustrations with a transfer to Besiktas, where he will undoubtedly be worshipped by the fanatical Turkish support, Ba is free. Hopefully he will be able to reproduce the sort of form that earned him a transfer to the champions of Europe in the January window of 2013. For his own sake, lets hope that he has heeded his own advice, and not made a second successive mistake.