The price-tag being quoted could make some Liverpool fans cringe and non-Liverpool fans point and laugh, but there are some very good reasons why Rafa’s move for Ryan Babel will be a good one for Liverpool:
- Young, quality player – in earlier years Rafa would have signed a Pennant and been forced to compromise. Babel is a good winger who, if he adapts to the Premiership, will do a lot to bring attacking fluidity to this Liverpool side.
- Not too expensive – Bellamy and Cisse will go for more than 10m – with new owners pledging to spend ‘as much as necessary’, you’d expect Liverpool to spend a bit and 13.5m for a long-term quality investment isn’t a bad deal.
- If Arsenal are truly after Babel and Liverpool pip them to him, it’s a big statement.
Come to think of it, Babel would be a risk at 13.5m, but I’m assuming that Rafa has seen him play more than I have and knows what he’s going for.
Good play for Liverpool all around.
