Liverpool's new boss Brendan Rodgers is hoping to offload Carroll but he is not only keen to give his attack a fresh look ... but he wants to 'save face' and not give Carroll back to the Toon with a £15million loss on the balance sheet.
After landing Fabio Borini from Roma, Rodgers was hoping to bring in Theo Walcott from Arsenal, but that deal looks dead and buried.
With Luis Suarez lined up to spearhead Liverpool's attack, Rodgers is ready to offload target-man Carroll at the right price and the aim is to replace him with a more versatile forward.
Newcastle had made an official offer to take Carroll on a season-long loan with a view to a permanent deal at the end of next season, but Ba is a genuine target for Rodgers - and he would welcome some sort of deal.
27-year-old Ba has been the subject of speculation all summer because of a £7m clause in his contract.
That clause is, reportedly, due to expire at the end of the month and Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has stated that he would prefer to keep the former West Ham man next season.
However, Ba would be tempted by Liverpool, as he is unhappy at playing wide in Pardew's set up at Newcastle.
Ba's preference is to play as the figurehead in attack and as well as providing that option he also offers the versatility which Rodgers is seeking from the forwards he has in his squad.
Liverpool are asking £20m for Carroll, but their interest in Ba would help to lower that fee significantly - down to somewhere close to what Newcastle would like to pay for the man they sold for £35m 18 months ago.