Eurosport - Tue, 24 Nov 08:45:00 2009
Out of favour forward Ryan Babel has issued an ultimatum to Liverpool: play me more or I'll quit in January.
Babel rarely gets the chance to shine in Rafa Benitez's starting XI, a situation he is increasingly finding difficult to accept.
The Netherlands ace, who cost £11.5 million from Ajax in 2007, started promisingly at Anfield, winning the club's young player of the year award after his first season.
But following his return from international duty at the Olympics in 2008, things started to change. And with his career on Merseyside now stalling, he is prepared to jump ship once the transfer window reopens in the New Year. (The Sun)
In today's other big news, moneybags Manchester City have emerged as front-runners to sign Angel Di Maria after Chelsea baulked at Benfica's £36m price tag for the Argentine winger.
Robinho is likely to leave Eastlands in the summer, but Benfica are keen to push through a deal for Di Maria in January, having already approached Atletico Madrid to sign Simao Sabrosa.
Chelsea, who are progressing well in their bid to sign Atleti's Sergio Aguero, had hoped to pay £15m for Di Maria. (Daily Telegraph)
Meanwhile, City are a step closer to signing QPR's teen sensation Raheem Sterling after the 14-year-old striker told the Championship club he wants out. Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal have all looked at the youngster in the past but seem set to miss out. (Daily Mirror)
Birmingham's £4m bid for Serbia hitman Milan Jovanovic has collapsed due to a cash wrangle with agent Barry McIntosh, opening the door to a host of other Premier League clubs.
Manchester United, Everton, Aston Villa and Tottenham will now send scouts to watch the Standard Liege striker in action against Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday night. (Daily Mirror)
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce will listen to offers for Anton Ferdinand after making it clear the England U21 defender is not part of his plans at the Stadium of Light. Tottenham are willing to offer a lifeline to Ferdinand, with a £6m bid lined up for January. (The Sun)
And finally for today, Spurs outcast Gareth Bale is set for a £3m move to Nottingham Forest as the Championship side looks to boost their bid for promotion. (Daily Mirror)
Comment 31 - 50 of 50
chelsea please get aguero and let's make a very exciting, formidable team before the ban commences
chelsea please get aguero and let's make a very exciting, formidable team before the ban commences
for what its worth, a player moving to an english club should way his options carefully, look at nani. they shouldnt just rush to the biggest teams, alot of talented players make any team look good. im a barca fan...viva la catalan.
Ryan needs to stay, have patince son, benitez will be gone soon, then you get will your get chance, along with aquilani, wot a waste of talent sat on the bench, considering how injuries have gone
anton all though i think aint great growing fond of him he gos the right build for a quality defender but I TRUST BRUCE
Wise man and pretty coy the way he says its about a lack of apperances, He has noticed that the Iceberg has struk the side of the RMS Liverpool and that tub is sinking fast. Never mind liverpool fans you always have Lucas lol
robert m. hitch hikers guide to the galaxy?
louisejosh - what as ? Like everyone bar Torres and Gerrard, he wouldn't get in even be worth a place in United's squad, let alone the team
I have no idea what benitez is trying to do at that club, selling so many quality attacking options like Baros, Keane, Morientes, crouch, Penant, Luis garcia and the list goes ever on... and thrusting the hopes of the clubs attack squarely on fernando torres. Apart from that, he has effectively nueterd Kuyt and babel, Kuyt formaly being a tricker now a completely ineffective winger.
Babel should never have signed for them, now he's a complete waste of talent.
In my opinion it's ALL Rafa's fault and he SHOULD take the blame.
babel would fit in a united
i hate it when players kiss the badge one minute and demand a transfer the next.....if babel wants to be in liverpools first team he,ll have to fight for his place rather than spitting the dummy out and sulking to the press that rafa doesn,t love him anymore....like a certain argentinian i can name.
This is what happens when you say no to the Professor. He was courted by Wenger way back then but he chose to move to Liverpool and can only see what he missed out on now that his former team mate at Ajax, Vermaleen, joined Arsenal and is receiving the kind of rave review Babel can only dream of. Benitez is not a good man manager, that is a fact. He may be a good tactician but these days managers are more than tactician or strategist. They are also expected to be very good when it comes to dealing with the pressure of allocating playing time to his wards. After discovering that the premiership title was out of his reach last season, he should have blooded all these fringe players for a time like this. He has only been lucky with Ngog as the player is returning more than expected given his limited exposure. That is what makes a great side. Consistency!!!
ryan just right how can any player get confidence the way rafa has you would be a big mistake to let him go ..
Another great purchase from the Fat Waiter. Whilst I genuinely respect the fans club loyalty and passion, I just can't understand their criticism of the owners and support of Benitez. Surely it he that has bought Babel, Keane and a host of others, all for big bucks, yet the fans blame Hicks & Gillett rather than the bloke who can't manage like Fergie or buy like Wenger. What are the rest of us missing scousers ??
Babel is a talented player. Should be loaned out to develop. Wont develop under Benitez. Benitez has to go anyway. Dont know who we could get to replace him though. No decent manager will take the job while them jokers Hicks & Gillett own the club. Mourinho, O'Neill or Moyes will get United job when fergie retires so will stay with their respective clubs until then.
ok ryan find someone that wants you for 10 million +
you messed up by going to china and coming back injured stop blaming everybody else !
just like last weekend when you got yourself injured instead of passing the frigging ball you went for glory and lost again like most of the 2 and a half years you have been here !
it is always the same with player that cannot bring the goods to the price tag !
Let's hope he does go in Jan, ive never rated him, he's lazy, not a team player. Babel should be at a team like Man Utd. It would be de ja vu, jumping from one sinking ship to another eh Stuartxland!
As for your contention that every game is like a cup final vd, thats three cup finals you've lost to us then, 2-1,4-1 and 2-0!! A bit like that other cup final you didnt turn up to in Rome last May pmsl
Debrecen 1 - 0 Liverpool FC
Fiorentina 3- 1 Olympique Lyon
your a talented footballer...get the hell out of there before the @#$% ship liverpool sinks into the muddy mersey!
Excellent headline - well done.
(Sadly, most of the kids on here won't get it.)
Robert
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