Hammers talk on Ba return speculation

Former Hammer Demba Ba is being regularly linked with an Irons return.

The guessing game started again after  West Ham chairman David Sullivan revealed the club are looking to sign a ’20 goals a season striker’ in the summer when speaking to Sky Sports News.

But there’s litte chance of it happening according to a top Irons insider who said: “He’s a player we all like but he is known to have had some knee problems which make it difficult.

“He will also be 31 in May which doesn’t really fit out age profile although there’s no question he is a player who has a lot to offer.”

Ba scored seven goals in 13 games for West Ham after signing from Hoffenheim in January 2011 for £1m, but his goals couldn’t keep the Hammers up that season and we suffered relegation to the Championship at the end of the 2010/11 season.

Ba’s post West Ham career saw him move to Newcastle United, who he joined as free agent only to be sold to Chelsea for £7m.

The Blues sold him to Besiktas under then manager Slaven Bilic for £8m, who in turn sold him last year to Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua for £9m on a weekly wage reported to be around £89,000!