Newcastle United's Demba Ba, right, vies for the ball with Manchester City's Javi Garcia during their English Premier League soccer match at St James' Park, Newcastle, England, Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012 (Photo: AP)
Senegal and Newcastle striker Demba Ba hinted that he could join Premiere League side Arsenal in the winter transfer window.
The 27-year-old, who scored 11 goals with the Magpies this season, will be free to join any club next January as he has an escape clause in his contract that could be reactivated.
"It is true that Arsenal are among the clubs that are tempting," Ba was quoted as saying by Skysports on Tuesday.
"Journalists are doing their job, they know Arsenal need strikers and they know I have a clause in my contract so they start speculating," he added.
The Senegalese forward's current deal with Newcastle runs out in 2014, and the recent speculations about his future worried his coach Alan Pardew who said last week: "The clause is always hanging over us and it makes it difficult for us, the club and him. We accept that and that's the way football is."
Newcastle lie 15th in the 20-team league table with 17 points, just two above the relegation zone.
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