Demba Ba urged to stay at Newcastle by Patrick Kluivert
Last updated on .From the section Football
Former Newcastle United striker Patrick Kluivert has told Senegal forward Demba Ba to stay at the club.
The 27-year-old is believed to be frustrated with his role at the club and talks over a new deal have stalled.
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has admitted the club's top scorer last season could leave for £7m in January.
Ex-Netherlands international Kluivert, 36, told BBC Sport: "Stick with your club and, if you do well for another year, you can look to another club."
Ba expressed his displeasure at being a substitute in Monday's 2-2 draw at Everton, a game in which he came off the bench to score both of Newcastle's goals, and the club were exasperated by comments from his agent Alex Gontran suggesting Ba might seek a move if he continued to play second fiddle to Senegal team-mate Papiss Cisse.
"[Ba] did a great job and scored a lot of great goals last year," added Kluivert.
"It is very easy to say after he had a good year with Newcastle that he wants to leave.
"He's a great striker and I bet a lot of clubs want him and that's probably why [his agent] said that."
Pardew said the club was "vulnerable" after revealing that a £7m buy-out clause is still active in the new year.
Kluivert, assistant coach for FC Twente and the Netherlands, said: "I think [Pardew] knows another big club are after his player so for a manager at Newcastle, it's not an easy job.
"He has to convince the player that he is a very important for the team and not to say directly that he wants to leave.
"It's not a good thing for a manager to say that in public."
