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West Bromwich Albion are prepared to make Demba Ba their highest-paid player with the 30-year-old telling Besiktas he wants to return to England rather than play in China.

Besiktas have been trying to convince Ba to accept a seven million euros per season offer to play for Shanghai Shenhua, whom Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka have played for.

The Chinese club are offering Besiktas a reported £10 million fee which has outstripped offers from elsewhere.

Ba could seek a salary of around £70,000 a week at The Hawthorns topping the type of sums lavished on Anelka.

Ben Foster, Darren Fletcher and Joleon Lescott are currently the club’s highest earners, raking in around £50,000-£55,000 a week.

Albion believe they have a chance of securing the 30-year-old former Chelsea, Newcastle and West Ham striker.

But they are also aware that Ba is being flooded with offers worldwide and if he puts money at the forefront of his decision-making then UK tax laws make it difficult for Albion to compete.

The return of the top rate tax in England is 45 per cent, meaning Ba’s £2.5 million salary would be cut to around £1.375 million.

Russian clubs are at a big advantage as their tax rate is 13% whilst Monaco have a zero rate.

Turkey have re-introduced a 35 per cent rate after a spell of actively seeking to bring in world stars by offering a 15-per-cent rate.

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The rest of Europe is more equal. Sweden is the country that imposes the highest tax on footballers in Europe at 56.9 percent, followed by Portugal, Denmark and Belgium with 56.5%, 55.6% and 53.7%, respectively.

Spain and Holland have 52%, Germany 47.5%, Italy 47.9%, France 50.3% and China 45%.

Beşiktaş board member Ahmet Ürkmezgil has confirmed that the club have received a €14 million bid from Shanghai Shenhua for Ba.

“Nothing has been agreed yet the Chinese side wants him and have made us an offer of €14 million but nothing has been finalised as of yet,” Ürkmezgil told Radyospor.

Dubai club Al-Ahli are also reportedly ready to submit an offer for Ba.

At the same time as pushing for a marquee striker Tony Pulis wants to nail down the future of Saido Berahino.

He has two years remaining on his contract and Albion will more than likely have to triple his current £15,000 a week earnings.

Speculation that Albion have put a £30 million price tag on his head is completely false.

Albion can even allow his contract to run out and claim compensation, with one eye to Burnley and Danny Ings to see just how high a figure they can expect from a player who has scored more top flight goals and is younger.

In 13 years of running West Bromwich Albion Chairman Jeremy Peace has never publicly stated to a buying club an asking price for a player.

Despite plenty of gossip about interest from the top four none has yet materialised.