Demba Ba urged to stay at Newcastle by Patrick Kluivert
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.
Demba Ba factfile
- Born in Paris suburb of Sevres
- One of eight children
- Previous clubs: Rouen, Mouscron, Hoffenheim, West Ham
- Scored seven goals in only 12 Premier League starts for West Ham
- He scored 17 goals in his first season at Newcastle
- Already has three goals in four league games in 2012-13
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."
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