Ba has signed on a three-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee, believed to match the £7.5m release clause in his Newcastle contract.

Ba, who scored 29 goals in 54 league appearances during his time on Tyneside, will wear the No 29 shirt at Stamford Bridge.

He told the Chelsea website: "It feels good to be here, I'm very happy and very proud.

"It was important for me, and for Newcastle, to get my future sorted and now we can move on. Now they have the whole month to buy someone and for me as well, the sooner the better. Now I am here I just need to get settled in.

"When the club who won the Champions League wants you, the decision is very easy. This club is massive and that's something that helped the decision a lot. It was not a hard one."

He will be eligible for selection for tomorrow's FA Cup match at Southampton, and the Capital One Cup semi-final against Swansea, but cannot play for Chelsea in the Europa League this season having appeared in the competition for Newcastle.

http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/3030470/title/ba-transfer-completed

And Torres' Bench warming adventure starts........