Confirmed: LFC's Chief Scout still monitoring £10m 24-goal striker. Risky buy...?

After a ridiculous attempt to score a goal with his hand in Liverpool's last game against Southampton, Luis Suarez is banned for the Reds' clash with West Ham this week, a situation that underlines the club's worrying lack of striking options. Suarez is in a rich vein of goalscoring form at the moment, but it's clear that another top class striker is needed at Anfield, and Newcastle forward Demba Ba is once again being linked with a move to Anfield.

According to the Newcastle Evening Chronicle, Liverpool's Chief Scout is still keeping tabs on the Senegalese striker:

"Liverpool retain an interest in eight-goal striker Ba, and talent scout Alan Harper has frequented United games this season as the Reds look to bolster their wafer-thin strike force.

Due to a ridiculously cheap buy-out clause, Ba will be available for just £7.5m during the January transfer window, which is certainly within Liverpool's transfer budget. Newcastle Boss Alan Pardew revealed last night that he is worried about losing Ba. He said:

""The truth of it is that Demba has got a clause in his contract and it is still hanging over us. The one thing I will say on a positive note is that he has never looked me in the eye and looked like he wanted to do anything else but stay here, and I hope he does."

However, the Chronicle warns that clubs may be put off by the cost of the overall package:

"The Chronicle understands that Ba’s representatives [have] quoted interested clubs a wage packet of around £90,000 per week. With a £7.5m release clause plus agent fees, the package would also command a substantial signing-on fee that could take the deal well beyond £10m".

In September, Alex Gontran - Ba's Agent - hinted that the 27-year old could leave St. James' Park if Alan Pardew's mismanagement of the striker continued. He warned:

"Since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations [in January], Demba doesn't understand the management. How could you put your best striker with full confidence on the left wing? If he continues to be a substitute all season, we'll look at other solutions".

Since that warning, Ba has started most games for Newcastle. Ba will also not be taking part in next year's African Nations Cup, which makes the possibility of his signing all the more attractive.

Mark Lawrenson is fan of the striker, and believes that Ba would be a great signing for the club. He told the BBC:

"Rodgers spent £11m on Fabio Borini in the summer but, if I had the choice of him or Ba, who still has a £7.5m release clause in his contract, then I know where I would have been shopping. There have been reports they will try to buy Ba in January. If his knee is OK, which it appears to be, it would make perfect sense for them to try to buy him".

A Liverpool team with Ba up front is a tantalising prospect:

----------------------- Jones

Wisdom -------- Agger ------- Skrtel ------- Johnson

--------------- Allen ------- Sahin/Lucas

--------------------- Gerrard

Suarez --------------------------------- Sterling/Suso/Enrique

--------------------- Ba

Since arriving at Newcastle:

* Ba has grabbed 24 goals and 2 assists in 51 starts.
* That equates to a goal/assist every 1.9 games

Great stats, but there could be an element of risk to any potential transfer. It's well known that Ba has what the Chronicle describes as a 'degenerative knee situation', and after pulling out of a deal sign him last year, Stoke Manager Tony Pulis described the Senegalese international's condition as a 'ticking timebomb'.



Jaimie Kanwar