Demba Ba Back In Turkey With Istanbul Basaksehir

By Max Wise

Former Chelsea striker Demba Ba has joined Turkish league leaders Istanbul Basaksehir for the second half of the season as the club aim to win the title for the first time.

The 33-year-old Senegalese forward joins on loan from Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua to play for his third Turkish club after previous spells with Besiktas and Goztepe.

Ba, who has 19 caps for Senegal, scored five times in 17 appearances for Shanghai Shenhua last season.

Istanbul Basaksehir have defied all odds to open a six-point gap at the top of the Turkish Super Lig table with 38 points from 18 games, six points ahead of nearest challengers Galatasaray and Yeni Malatyaspor.

Demba Ba will join former Premier League stars Emmanuel Adebayor,Robinho and Gael Clichy at the club, whiles former Atletico Madrid and Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan is another well-known star currently in their books.

Ba has played previously in England with West Ham United, Newcastle and Chelsea, notching an impressive 43 goals in 99 Premier League games