Ryan Babel

[carcajou]

supposedly, fiorentina have upped their bid for babel to 10 million euros

We should sell him for that price. I mean, what's the point of keeping him ? Huntelaar and Rosenberg are very young, and I can so much pîcture turning into another Pienaar/Heitinga/De Jong overrated starlet, I can feel it coming. Two years now, he'll have been a disappointment and he'll go on a Bosman. Since it's amazing how we never get decent fees for these awesome players we sell, we should as well sell them when they can still bring some fat cash.

I have to say I rate him very high, but this is my opinion in this sad period.

[souras84]

well you could be right. It seems as if the only players that havent progressed the way pienaar and co did, are Sneijder Maxwell and I am struggling to remember another. So sell him get 7-10million dollars as Dr. Evil would say and buy a couple of good young 20-24 wingers. Perez and Stam are like a temporary solution.

[Kowalczyk]

10 million euros... If that is true it could be a 'bid we can't refuse', as they say...

It is, by the way, not confirmed (or even reported) by anyone that Fiorentina are now offering 10 million. According to the last update on Sky Sports their bid of 6 million was rejected by Ajax. Read it here.

K.

[bluedaddy19]

It is, by the way, not confirmed (or even reported) by anyone that Fiorentina are now offering 10 million.

K.

it is being reported in italy... do with that what you will :D

hence my use of the word "supposedly"

[DanK]

man, this could be one of (many) ajax's f*ck ups. A year or so ago, Babel was playing centre forward, scoring a few (classic) goals. B/w then and now, he was placed on the wing (when its obvious he is a centre forward), then taken out of the team altogether.

It would have been interesting to see Babel coming through the ranks if he had some half decent players around him and didn't have to fight for a centre forward place with about 6 other so called "centre forwards".

Its sad to see where our beloved club is right now...but as always. We are Ajax and we will be back!

[jakobg]

From what I've seen, Fiorentina signed Iuliano from Spain. That's another attacker, and I can't see Babel signing, if they've got three quality strikers that would be ahead of him. But on the other hand, that's kinda his situation here as well.

[orange goblin]

sorry man but mark iuliano is a defender that played in real mallorca and he has joined Uc Sampdoria, not fiorentina at all..

[bryan]

I wonder if that's 10 million up front or 5 million over 15 seasons, with another 5 million after Babel gets 85 caps. If it's anything like the Roma and Juve deals, who knows.

[jakobg]

sorry man but mark iuliano is a defender that played in real mallorca and he has joined Uc Sampdoria, not fiorentina at all..

Oh, crap. Don't know what I was thinking. Of course you're right and I'm as wrong as I could be.

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

Ten million is a good bid but it would not be the best move for Babel i agree ajax should loan him out with a clause that does not allow him to play against us, that way he regains some confidence starts scoring and maybe win a spot for next season.

[dws]

Ten million is a good bid but it would not be the best move for Babel i agree ajax should loan him out with a clause that does not allow him to play against us, that way he regains some confidence starts scoring and maybe win a spot for next season.

A loan period at AZ or Heerenveen would be great for his development.

[SPL]

Quite agree he should be loaned out instead of staying here as 4th choice

striker. Next season he will still be 4th choice behind JKH, Rosenberg and Perez.I wont say anymore as I am well and truely pissed off with the way this club is operating at the moment.

[carcajou]

Quite agree he should be loaned out instead of staying here as 4th choice

striker. Next season he will still be 4th choice behind JKH, Rosenberg and Perez.I wont say anymore as I am well and truely pissed off with the way this club is operating at the moment.

Is Perez a striker ? Everyone's saying he's a winger...

[dws]

Perez is a very versatile player . He can play as a left midfielder , winger or as a number 10.

Carcajou, if you need any reminding of how good this guy is go to the video competitie section at ultrasuid and download the AZ v Ajax video.
The two Perez goals for AZ are fantastic. X'C X'C :xyxthumbs:

[SPL]

I know he is not an out and out striker I just refer to him as that as Sky's stats on AZ show they have 2 strikers , him and Avedladze(the guy who cannot stop scoring and Blind did not want,but thats another story)

Perez does appear to be versatile with his positions and should be useful.

[ZoefdeHaas]

But AZ also have Koevermans, a very promising striker.

[SPL]

I see there is talk of Babel wanting a transfer. Don't blame him as he has been treated very badly this season. Worst thing that has happened to him was being picked to play for Holland. He obviously thinks he has made it, which is afair comment considering some of the strikers not being picked. I do not see him getting much playing time this season and his prospects for next wont be much better if he stays.3rd choice striker in a4-3-3 system when we might even have 2 decent wingers playing!!

I think he will go and become a star somewhere else. No real point in loaning him out for the season as his contract is to 2008 and I doubt he will renew it.
If we loan him out for a season he will probably turn down an extension and be sold in 2007.

We have purchased 3 strikers in the last 12 months spent £15 m on them and yet we have a local kid who we are not bothering with and stupidly will lose cheaply.

He will be playing in the premiership next season scoring goals .

Sorry what is the point of having a youth academy if you are going to treat talented kids like this.Blind has destroyed his confidence by sticking him out of position for half a season and now he is 4th choice.

[DanK]

Sorry what is the point of having a youth academy if you are going to treat talented kids like this.Blind has destroyed his confidence by sticking him out of position for half a season and now he is 4th choice.

Nice one SPL...I couldn't agree more. Give the youth a chance to sign, rather than panic buy players from all over the place. Babel should be played as a striker. If not in the starting line up, and the very least on the bench well ahead of Charisteas.

What a f*cking waste if he leaves.

[aveslacker]

Worst thing that has happened to him was being picked to play for Holland. He obviously thinks he has made it,

Here's the problem in a nutshell. I really think (and I've said this before) that picking players for Oranje at such a young age does them a real disservice, except in very special circumstances (a truly special person, a la Cruijff). The rest of the time, the player thinks that they are better than they truly are (or at least they are fully developed as a player) and then gets impatient when they don't make the first team all the time. I see this with de Jong as well.

I'm not saying that Blind hasn't handled him poorly; clearly playing Babel on the wing hasn't helped him develop as a center forward.

In my opinion, the ideal solution would be to let Charisteas go, and to bring Babel along as an understudy to Rosenberg and Huntelaar. If Ajax wants to do well in both the Eredivisie and Europe, they will need depth at all positions. Babel would get playing time.

The problem is that, because he got called up to play for Oranje, he now believes he should be starting at Ajax and won't settle for the kind of developmental/understudy role he still needs.

Having said all that, it is hard to disagree with the notion that he has been hard done by Blind.

[SPL]

well put aveslacker.

I hope Sarpong isn't included in the next international, afterall Maduro was selected after 2 games for Ajax.

Had Babel not been picked by Holland I think he would probably accept his position at present. Sad thing the Dutch boss is a great Ajax man.

[aveslacker]

Part of the problem is that van Basten of course coached Jong Ajax, which meant he knew exactly what the capabilities of all those players were. But he's been away from the day-to-day operations of the squad for a while now, and he has probably therefore not had as good an angle into Sarpong's development. Plus, Holland probably have enough good players in the midfield (Sneijder, VdV, Van Bommel, etc) so Sarpong may not be necessary. Here's to hoping that he develops normally...

[DrDuncan]

While Wesley is resting I would play Huntelaar at No.10, and Babel up front (with Rosenberg) to give him a chance of a run in the starting eleven.

[Ayman]

DrDuncan said:

While Wesley is resting I would play Huntelaar at No.10, and Babel up front (with Rosenberg) to give him a chance of a run in the starting eleven.

Huntelaar cant perform as a number 10, he is a poacher, not many Ajax strikers can do it there, if anything, Babel should play there instead

[Over Pasanens Head]

Here is a novel idea - why don't we play players in their best positions and also the positions that we purchased them for.

Just an idea.

[AsgAarD_xxx]

Huntelaar cant perform as a number 10, he is a poacher, not many Ajax strikers can do it there, if anything, Babel should play there instead

Indeed... Huntelaar is like F. Inzaghi- he can't dribble, he can't score a goal from the distance, but he is killer in the penalty area. So Babel will be better option.