Transfer Speculation: Ryan Babel (Liverpool) to Bayern Munich

Ryan Babel has not been the greatest purchase of Rafa Benitez's six seasons at Liverpool and given the Dutchman's propensity to open his mouth and put his foot in it the News of the World's report that Bayern Munich would like to take him on loan would appear to solve certain problems.

The deal outlined suggests that a January loan with a view to a £9m summer move is in the offing. A move to Bavaria would reunite Babel with a manager, Louis van Gaal, who has known hime 'since he was a boy'. There is no follow to this line in the article, but I like to think that as a child Babel repeatedly kicked a football into van Gaal's back garden and when he broke one his prize gnomes the enraged would-be manager stuck a garden fork through the ball before launching it back. Babel subsequently 'told his mum on van Gaal' and has vowed to wind up every manager he subsequently worked for.

Liverpool's squad looks a bit thin at the moment, but Benitez does have a habit of chopping out players who are not fitting in - hence Robbie Keane's sale last January - so on many levels there could be something here. Even more so if Bayern sell Frank Ribery and need a forward/winger. But I would guess that Benitez would want cash on the nail to enable him to (hopefully) re-invest in the team as the press will have a real go at him if he loses Babel without an obvious improvement to the squad.

Probability: 2/5

*Should Liverpool offload Babel now and if so how much should they look for - let us know.