Liverpool to sign Babel
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Liverpool will tie up the signing of Holland Under-21 and Ajax forward Ryan Babel tomorrow
Babel, 20, will sign a five-year contract after agreeing personal terms and passing a medical on Merseyside.
Ajax had earlier revealed they had agreed a fee of £11.5million for the player.
'Liverpool have agreed terms with Ajax and Ryan Babel himself and the player will sign a five-year-deal on Friday,' said a statement on the club's website.
Babel, who briefly returned to Holland to say his farewells, admitted leaving Ajax was a wrench but he was excited about a move to Anfield.
'I am very happy with it,' he said of the transfer. 'I am now only at Ajax to say goodbye to everyone, and I must say that's quite difficult.
'I think I will miss the fans, the ones that have always supported me, the guys (Ajax team-mates) of course and the coach.
'I certainly leave Ajax with pain in my heart. I will come to Amsterdam quite often, and then I will come to visit the club.'
Babel revealed he took little persuading to make the move to Anfield.
'I listened to what they had to say and I got a great feeling about the club,' he told Ajax TV.
'I have made a choice with my heart. The coach (Benitez) has big plans for me.'
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Hopefully a striker who can score more than 20 goals a season
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So this is Ryan Babel ? ( left ) -
Ryan Babel has described Rafael Benitez as 'like the ideal father-in-law' after sealing his £11.5million move from Ajax to Liverpool.
The Netherlands international forward has put pen to paper on a five-year contract at Anfield and afterwards revealed his admiration for the Reds manager.
The 20-year-old forward had been linked with both the Reds and Arsenal after starring for the Netherlands as they retained the recent European Under-21 championship on home soil.
"I was in Aruba at the end of last week when I was told to start thinking about Liverpool because a move could happen," he told the club's official website.
"I have met Rafael Benitez and my conversation with him was the moment I knew the deal would get done.
"He is like the ideal father-in-law. He has a lot of football know-how and he told me that I would be challenging with six other players for four positions. I have a good feeling about things.
"I met Dirk Kuyt at training, who I knew from the national team. At that moment he did not feel like a rival but I suppose that is what will happen.
"It was very important how the coach spoke to me, how I would fit in his team. After that conversation I knew it was the right decision." -
Sian.. Arsenal really sibei slow.. Now Arsenal target, Ryan Babel has joined Pool liao..
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another striker?!?
wat liverpool need is a good winger! can Babel play as winger as well? -
He is a winger , buddy !Originally posted by 798:another striker?!?
wat liverpool need is a good winger! can Babel play as winger as well?