As an increasingly agitated Alan Pardew called on Ba to issue a declaration of loyalty to Newcastle, the striker's representatives had reached a stand-off in negotiations with Chelsea caused both by the demand for agents' payments and a significant gap in the wages being sought by the 27 year-old and those being offered by Chelsea.
Telegraph Sport revealed on Sunday that Chelsea had emerged as the favourites to sign Ba from Newcastle United and talks opened on Sunday evening with his advisers, which they later described as "unproductive".
Ba has a £7 million release clause in his contract at Newcastle United, of which he is significantly due £2.5 million. In addition the player wants wages of £70,000 a week, plus bonuses, and his agents want to share fees of £2 million.
Chelsea offered Ba significantly less than £70,000 a week and have also, so far, refused to meet his agents' demands. Instead they have offered a standard 5 per cent of Ba's contract.
The Premier League club had hoped to resume negotiations yesterday but were told that no talks would take place for the next few days as Ba considered other options.
The expectation, according to sources close to the deal, is that both sides are involved in a game of brinkmanship although Chelsea have shocked Ba's advisers by their refusal to meet their demands.
Despite the stand-off it is, nevertheless, still expected that Ba will join Chelsea during the January transfer window but, as expected, Arsenal have also now entered the bidding.
Pardew was highly critical of Ba's "representatives" and called on the player to reject any move away from St James's Park, claiming he should show the same loyalty to Newcastle which they have shown him.
"I think it's difficult for our fans to really feel that Demba is solid with the team and everything else that's going on," said Pardew.
"When he's played he's always represented his full commitment to the team and I do think he's slightly becoming a victim of a few sharks around him.
"But, having said that, our fans want loyalty. This is a big club and I think he needs to make a statement at some point.
"He could end all this by saying he wants to stay because somebody is talking to other clubs on his behalf.
"Demba is as mentally strong a player as I have come across. He's had to cope with his injury earlier in his career and disappointments with the way some clubs have treated him.
"He can't be disappointed with the way we've treated him. We've been brilliant for him and therefore I hope he rewards us by staying with us for the next couple of years.
"I think he needs, in this window, to make a decision fairly early. I think for everyone's sake, most of all himself. Especially for our fans - they need to know he's going to be with us to the summer or not. We need to know as well, we need to make sure that we have a replacement ready if he leaves.
"He needs to give a message of some description. We're in an important stage of the season for us. We had a terrible result against Arsenal, we need to turn that around."
Ba's advisers believe they are justified in demanding the £2 million in fees given their client is available for £7 million and Chelsea are in the process of selling Daniel Sturridge to Liverpool for £12 million.
There was also some interest in Ba from Tottenham Hotspur but, as things stand, it appears that Arsenal are Chelsea's closest rivals to sign him.
Privately, Newcastle have been braced for his departure and have also been in advanced negotiations with Marseille to sign French international Loic Remy for £11.5 million.
Pardew said: "At the end of the day if he feels that our offer isn't right for him (Ba), what can I do?
"I can't remember a situation like it, quite with this level of speculation and information being put about. So I think that's a frustration for us as a club - massively. Hopefully he will play against Everton, but we could get an offer tomorrow and he could go. I'd save it's evens whether he stays or goes."
Newcastle still carry the scars of losing Andy Carroll to Liverpool on the final day of the January window in 2011, but Pardew feels the team are far stronger than they were the last time they lost their leading scorer.
"In some respect I feel a little bit sorry for Demba because I think people are representing him who are not actually representing him. There are people out there who are fuelling this who are not actually involved," Pardew said.
"I've been in a situation where we lost Andy Carroll, and to a great extent, maybe we were weaker then than we are now.
"So we've coped with it before and we'll cope with it again if we have to. But ideally we want him to stay, and hopefully he will play on Wednesday and play well." AGENCIES
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