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Rafa Benitez warns Ryan Babel over loan
request
Tony Barrett
Liverpool
Echo
Thursday 11 December
Ryan Babel has been ordered to
knuckle down and fight for his place at Anfield after
having a request to go out on loan rejected by Rafa
Benitez.
On the day of Liverpool's Champions
League game with PSV Eindhoven, Babel's agent told the
Dutch press his client had been keen to leave the Reds
on a temporary basis in a bid to play more regular football.
The possibility of a loan move to former club Ajax
had been raised with Benitez, but the Reds boss dismissed
it out of hand, informing Babel that he would not even
consider it and telling him that he must try to force
his way into Liverpool's starting line-up.
Babel has now underlined the situation in another interview
with the Dutch media, in which he admits to having harboured
hopes of a loan move away from Anfield.
He said: "I have talked to the manager about my
future, about maybe a loan somewhere so I can play every
week.
"Ajax was only an example, a possibility, not
something I was trying to make happen."
The Dutch club had been keen on the idea, but have
been told there is no chance of such a move taking place,
particularly with Liverpool fighting it out at the top
of the Premier League and having just qualified for
the last 16 of the Champions League as group winners.
Benitez has told the 20-year-old that he cannot be
guaranteed a place in his starting line-up, but urged
him to try and win one by improving his erratic form.
Babel added: "Rafa said no.
He did not promise me anything for the rest of the season.
There were no conditions. I accept this."
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