Ryan Babel today agreed personal terms and passed his medical but unusually the two clubs are yet to agree on a fee. Liverpool have offered £10m and Ajax want £13m. I guess he’ll sign for £11.5m!

I’ve been holding off on posting because of the strangeness about the fee. The picture to the right convinced me it’s a done deal though.

Ryan Babel is a Dutch U-21 player who Van Basten said was the “next Henry.” I don’t like it when people call someone the next anything but I can see the similarities. At Liverpool he will be used mostly as a left-winger but there’s no reason why he can’t emulate Henry who started his Arsenal career on the left wing too.

It looks like Babel’s signature means the end of the attacking purchases for Liverpool this summer. I’m refusing to give up on Quaresma until the transfer window closes but it’s highly unlikely that there will be anything other than some defensive cover brought in between now and then.

Whether Babel is the answer, only time will tell. I would have preffered to see a more experienced out-and-out winger brought in but I trust that Rafa knows what suits his plans best. Ryan Babel is a good player and I’m glad to see him arriving. He might just turn out to be the biggest signing of the summer!

This signing continues a trend of goalscorers joining Liverpool this summer. Goals from all over the pitch was another problem last season. Rafa has addressed nearly all the problems from last season now.

Roll on August and Villa away…