Demba Ba’s £7 million move to Chelsea has been held up over the club’s refusal to pay his agents the £2 million in fees they are demanding.

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 five 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......Telegraph