Galatasaray winger Ryan Babel has revealed the clubs that turned him down while he was struggling in his career. He mentioned the clubs in an interview with Voetbal International. According to the Dutchman, teams in the Premier League and the German Bundesliga rejected him while he was at one of the lowest points of his career as a footballer.
The ex-Liverpool player wanted a new challenge after his unsuccessful spell with Dutch champions Ajax Amsterdam and this informed the decision to call some clubs. His agent called both West Ham United and Aston Villa in the English top flight. The two teams turned down the chance to sign him. Bundesliga teams like Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 also said no to him. He scored four league goals in 16 outings during his second Ajax Amsterdam spell.
The 33-year-old eventually joined Kasimpasa in the Turkish Super League where he spent two years before signing for Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). His stay in UAE lasted just months before he returned to European football with Deportivo La Coruna FC of Spain at the start of 2016. Turkish club Besiktas and English team Fulham soon followed for the Dutch international.
Babel is currently on the books ofGalatasaray in Turkey having joined them last summer. He scored five goals in 19 league games before he decided to sign for Ajax Amsterdam again for the third time. He joined Ajax on loan from Galatasaray in January 2020 until the end of last season.Ryan Babel came through the youth teams at Ajax Amsterdam before he was handed his professional debut in 2004. The winger spent three years in his first spell at the club. Babel would return for his second spell for the 2012/13 campaign. His third spell happened in the second half of last season.
Ryan Babel returned to Turkish giants Galatasarayat the end of his Ajax Amsterdam loan this summer. He has two goals and two assists in 11 appearances for Galatasaray this season.