Demba Ba has agreed to contract terms with Chelsea, believed to extend his Premier League career to three-and-a-half years, reports the Daily Mail.

The Senegal forward is on the verge of completing a deal after agreeing to play at Stamford Bridge by signing for the Blues this month.

Ba was left out of the Newcastle game against Everton after Chelsea triggered his £7.5milllion minimum release fee clause. The player underwent a medical on Wednesday, with Rafael Benitez believed to be keen on throwing Ba straight into action against Southampton in their FA Cup clash this weekend.

Following a shock 1-0 defeat at the hands of West London rivals QPR that saw Chelsea fail in front of goal, Ba’s arrival will be a welcomed one.

Benitez noted that “Fernando Torres is one of the players we need to rest, he has been playing too many games. I don’t have any official information about the [Ba] situation.

However, the manager was quick to remind all of Ba’s current transfer status, saying, “Officially he [Ba] is not our player. The club are working on it and we can talk about him when it’s official.

“If we can do the business then, hopefully, he can be available for the weekend,” said Benitez.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew also commented on the situation but in a more definitive fashion. Pardew said, “It’s done, he’ll go to Chelsea with our blessing.

“For us, it’s not a bad thing because all the uncertainty over whether he was going to stay, it’s now done. We are bigger than any player so in some respects I’m pleased.”