Football
Adriana Garcia 7y

Ryan Babel leaving Deportivo La Coruna, has offers to move elsewhere

Former Liverpool striker Ryan Babel has decided not to remain with Deportivo La Coruna after his contract expires on Dec. 31, while he has confirmed that he has received offers to sign for new clubs, including one from Besiktas.

Babel, 30, who joined Deportivo on Sept. 15 as a replacement for injured striker Joselu, has announced he is leaving the Spanish club.

The Dutchman, who scored Deportivo's third goal in Wednesday's 3-1 Copa del Rey round-of-32 second-leg win over Real Betis, said after the game: "I will speak with my agent but because of family circumstances, I will take one of the offers I have outside Deportivo.

"I haven't made a decision on which one. Everyone knows about Besiktas but there are also two other clubs that have made offers to my agent."

Babel joined Deportivo as a free agent after being released by United Arab Emirates side Al-Ain. He has made 11 league appearances, scoring four goals and setting up one more while playing with a Spanish club for the first time.

"This three months was a very good experience for me," the former Ajax and Netherlands player said. "I never expected to play in Spain. Even though it has been very short, I see this as my third home after Amsterdam and Liverpool. I've met great people and it's been a while for me since I have felt this kind of support."

Deportivo president Tino Fernandez had hoped Babel would remain at the Galician club until the end of the season.

He told Onda Cero: "We were given no option to make an offer, not even to equal it. The contract was going to end on Dec. 31. His performances at Depor have been good and he has received other offers. We cannot financially compete with Turkish clubs.

"We want to thank him for the work he has done in these past months and wish him the best of luck. We will try to bring in another player until the end of the season."

Deportivo fans have received some good news, with the club announcing that Brazilian defender Sidnei has signed a new contract until June 2020.

The 27-year-old, who had been a reported target for Barcelona and Valencia in the summer, joined Deportivo in 2014 and has made 79 appearances for the club. His previous deal was set to expire in June 2018.

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