Ryan Babel, former Liverpool man, pleased to be joining another ‘team full of stars’ in Al Ain

Ryan Babel said he wants to contribute to Al Ain's 'history full of achievements and championships' as the former Liverpool and Ajax man arrived in the UAE.

Ryan Babel shown during a Premier League match with Liverpool in 2010. Alex Livesey / Getty Images / March 15, 2010

Ryan Babel has set his sights high at new side Al Ain, after the former Liverpool forward arrived in the UAE to complete his transfer.

The Dutch winger, 28, landed in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday night to finalise his move from Turkey’s Kasimpasa, which will be confirmed once he passes a medical on Wednesday. He will then join up with the squad on July 10.

Babel, who is believed to have agreed to a two-year deal, becomes Al Ain's first signing of the summer and joins Asamoah Gyan and Lee Myung-joo as part of the Arabian Gulf League champions' foreign contingent for next season.

He replaces Miroslav Stoch, the Slovak midfielder whose one-year loan spell from Fenerbahce was not made permanent last month. Jires Kembo Ekoko, the French striker, is expected to make way, too, leaving Al Ain searching for one other player to complete their expatriate quartet.

Babel will be presented to the media on Thursday night, where no doubt he will reiterate his desire to continue the Garden City club’s recent success.

“I am very happy to move to Al Ain,” Babel said. “I want to regain the Asian Champions League and the President’s Cup, and retain the Arabian Gulf League title. Observers of Asian football have a good knowledge of Al Ain: they are a team full of stars and armed with a history full of achievements and championships.

“I’m very excited to start the season with the team, especially since negotiations were conducted in an excellent manner with high professionalism between all parties. I really wanted to represent Al Ain and I hope to repay the confidence shown in me by the coaching staff, led by Zlatko Dalic, so that I can make the fans of the team happy.”

Babel’s acquisition will go some way to appeasing Al Ain supporters following a relatively quiet transfer window thus far. The winger, a right-footer who predominantly plays on the left flank, began his professional career in his homeland with Ajax in 2004, when he graduated from the club’s youth set-up.

He transferred to the Premier League three years later, going on to make 146 appearances for Liverpool. After three-and-a-half years at the Merseyside club, Babel moved to Germany’s Hoffenheim, but he returned to Ajax for one year in 2012 before switching to Kasimpasa. In Istanbul, Babel enjoyed only limited success, scoring nine times in 29 Turkish Super Lig matches last season.

It therefore remains to be seen if he can prove a valuable addition to Al Ain, although Nasser Al Junaibi, the team manager, says he is confident the Dutchman can help his new club to yet more glory.

“Babel was one of the most prominent names put forward by Zlatko Dalic to strengthen the team for the new season,” Al Junaibi said. “He has a wonderful personality, high technical potential and has considerable experience in football with clubs such as Liverpool, Ajax and Hoffenheim.”

Babel possesses considerable experience at international level, as well, having represented the Netherlands 46 times.

Al Ain are expected to announce another signing before next week, with Felipe Bastos, the Brazilian midfielder at Vasco da Gama, touted to fill their one remaining foreign spot.

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