Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Liverpool Make £10m Bid For Babel


Liverpool have made a £10m bid for highly-rated Ajax winger Ryan Babel, BBC Five Live Sport understands.


However, the Dutch club are thought to be holding out for £13.5m for the 20-year-old, who has also been linked to Arsenal.

Babel's agent told Sportweek magazine: "Liverpool have made a bid for Ryan but he hasn't spoken with them.

"We can only speak when Ajax say the clubs have an agreement, and phase two can start, but it's not that far yet."

But Five Live football correspondent Jonathan Legard has been told a deal could go through on Wednesday.

He said: "Liverpool have bid 15m euros (£10m), Ajax want 20 million euros (£13.5m) so there's a gap of about £3.5m.

"He was strongly linked to Arsenal but Liverpool have made their move and it seems they will use the money from Craig Bellamy's move to West Ham to bring in one of Europe's finest young talents."

Babel impressed as part of the Holland Under-21 team that won the recent European Championship.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez signed striker Fernando Torres from Atletico Madrid last week and admitted he was looking to sign wide players to help supply his new acquisition.

Babel made 27 Eredivisie appearances for Ajax last season, scoring five goals.

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