LIVERPOOL - Ryan Babel moet zich bij Liverpool verantwoorden voor de uitspraken die hij onlangs deed in een interview met Voetbal International. De quotes van dat interview zijn deze week vertaald in het Engels en bij manager Rafael Benitez onder ogen gekomen. Babel zegt onder meer dat hij zinspeelt op een vertrek van Anfield.

In de Liverpool Echo zegt Benitez donderdag dat hij niet blij is met de kritische noten van Babel. ,,Ik wil heel graag van Ryan weten wat er aan de hand is. Dus moeten hij en ik eens even praten. Ik ben benieuwd naar zijn uitleg.''

Babel, dit seizoen al gelinkt aan Ajax, komt in Liverpool maar mondjesmaat aan spelen toe.

Liverpool FC set to trade Ryan Babel for Sunderland's Kenwyne Jones

Rafael Benitez is attempting to bring Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones to Anfield as a replacement for want away attacker Ryan Babel.

The out-of-favour Dutchman looks set to leave the Reds after a very public rant on microblogging site Twitter about his omission from today's squad that drew with Stoke City earlier today.

Trinidad and Tobago international Jones was the subject of interest from Tottenham Hotspur last year who saw a bid of £16 million rejected by Black Cats chairman Niall Quinn who described him as 'untouchable'.

However plans to hold onto the 25-year-old are believed to have been shelved following a reported falling out with manager Steve Bruce, which could see him leave Wearside with Babel heading in the opposite direction.

Anfield legend John Aldridge has welcomed the potential arrival of lofty marksman Jones whom he believes would signal good business on Benitez's part if Babel was offloaded in the process and add fire power to the Reds' attack following the arrival of Maxi Rodriguez earlier this week.

He said: "Let's hope that comes true because we need a bit of fire power, especially in the next six weeks. That lad has done really well at Sunderland; he's gifted, he's only young and he's a good player who can score goals, put himself about and is fantastic in the air.

"Apparently he's fallen out with Steve Bruce, who's a no nonsense manager, so it might be for the good and the player that he moves on and he could be a really good acquisition.

"We've got Rodriguez in now, who will hopefully turn out to be a decent buy. We need firepower - he's one and I wouldn't stop there. I'd be looking for other players at the moment and shifting a few out like Ryan and hopefully a couple of the other deadwood will follow.

"If Harry Redknapp was after him he can't be a bad player because he knows his players. At the end of the day if you let Ryan go and bring him in it will be to our benefit."

Aldridge, 51, also predicted that Babel's Twitter rants had sealed his Anfield fate, in addition to failing to stake a claim in the first team since arriving from Ajax in the summer of 2007.

He added: "He's had enough chances, I don't care what people say.

"His potential is there to be seen as he says himself. He says he's got every potential and will show Liverpool.

"One day he might do but I don't think he's ever going to do it at Liverpool and I think he's signed his own death warrant."

FA beboet twitterende Ryan Babel

De FA heeft Ryan Babel een boete van omgerekend bijna 12.000 euro opgelegd.

De Nederlandse aanvaller van Liverpool kreeg bovendien het dringende advies mee om voortaan beter na te denken over zijn uitlatingen op de populaire internetdienst.

De voormalige Ajacied plaatste vorige week zondag enkele uren na de verloren bekerwedstrijd tegen Manchester United (1-0) een bewerkte foto van Webb op zijn twitterpagina. Daarop was de Engelse arbiter afgebeeld in een shirt van Manchester United.

Babel voegde daaraan toe: "En hij wordt één van de beste scheidsrechters genoemd? Dat moet een grap zijn." Hoewel hij kort daarna excuses maakte, nam de FA de zaak hoog op.