Babel fails in Ajax loan move bid

Babel scored Liverpool's winner against Manchester United earlier this season

Liverpool winger Ryan Babel has failed in his attempt to engineer a loan move back to his previous club Ajax.

The 21-year-old arrived at Anfield for £11.5m in July 2007 but has failed to hold down a regular first-team place.

His agent Winnie Haatrecht said: "Ryan sits on the bench too much, he wants to play more and asked me to see if Ajax were interested in a temporary return.

"After we got an enthusiastic reaction from Ajax, we asked Liverpool but the club don't want to see him go."

Babel has made 17 appearances this season but has started just two Premier League matches with manager Rafael Benitez preferring to use him as an impact substitute later in games.

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The Dutchman scored the winning goal as Liverpool beat Manchester United 2-1 at Anfield earlier in the season, but he has found his opportunities limited since the arrival of Spanish winger Albert Riera in the summer.

However, despite his apparent eagerness for regular first-team football, Haatrecht maintains his client is happy to stay at Liverpool.

"Rafael Benitez finds Ryan too important. Hopefully we will see that in more playing time," he told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

"Let's be clear - Ryan feels great at Liverpool, but for him to develop further he needs to get playing time."

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