Babel ready and able for Liverpool

Liverpool FC have continued their heavy summer recruitment programme by unveiling AFC Ajax forward Ryan Babel today after completing the signing of Yossi Benayoun with the pair costing a combined fee worth in the region of €24.5m.

Babel coup
Babel, one of the stars of the Netherlands' UEFA European Under-21 championship victory this summer and an established part of the senior set-up, had attracted an initial €14.7m bid from the UEFA Champions League finalists which was rejected by Ajax but the Amsterdam-based club accepted an improved offer of €17m. He signed his five-year contract on Friday afternoon.

'Great feeling'
The 20-year-old, who had completed a medical and agreed personal terms on Wednesday, is a product of the famed Ajax youth academy. Babel has scored 14 goals in 73 Eredivisie matches and is rated as one of the country's most promising talents. Speaking to Liverpool's website, he said: "I listened to what they had to say and I got a great feeling about the club. I have made a choice with my heart. The coach has big plans for me."

Benayoun move
Benayoun, meanwhile, has long been considered one of Israel's best talents and after a lengthy pursuit by Liverpool, West Ham United FC accepted an offer for him believed to be approximately €7.5m. The 27-year-old signed for West Ham from Real Racing Club Santander in summer 2005 before making 63 appearances and scoring eight goals in his two seasons at Upton Park. Reds manager Rafael Benítez was delighted to finally capture the former Maccabi Haifa FC playmaker, saying: "Liverpool fans will remember how he played in the FA Cup final against us [in 2006] when he was outstanding. We thought then he was a player who is capable of stepping up to a higher level."

Signal of intent
The double deal takes Liverpool's summer spending to €47m following the arrival of Spain striker Fernando Torres from Club Atlético de Madrid and Ukrainian international Andrei Voronin from Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Like Ajax, Liverpool enter this season's UEFA Champions League stage at the third qualifying round stage and these latest signings will send out a strong signal to their Premier League and European rivals as to the seriousness of their intent to win trophies in the forthcoming campaign.