Demba Ba in talks with Besiktas as Chelsea departure nears

Demba Ba: On his way out of Stamford Bridge

Chelsea striker Demba Ba is on the verge of joining Besiktas and the Blues are in talks with the Turkish club, according to the London Evening Standard.

Ba is on his way out of Chelsea as the Blues close in on the signing of Diego Costa from La Liga winners Atletico Madrid. Besiktas are hoping to get the deal for Ba done sooner rather than later and are confident of such happening due to the Diego Costa transfer set to go ahead.

Ba, who joined from Newcastle for £7.5 million in January 2013, was a fringe member of the squad under Jose Mourinho last season, starting just six games in all competitions.

He almost joined Trabzonspor in January only for the move to break down following an injury to Chelsea teammate Fernando Torres.

Besiktas president Fikret Orman has begun negotiations with Chelsea over a deal to bring the forward to Turkey.

They face competition from rivals Galatasaray and Fenerbahce but board member Deniz Atalay recently confirmed he is their main target.

He said: “We have made an enquiry for Ba, however Chelsea have not decided whether they want to keep hold of him.”