Fulham forward Ryan Babel claims that West Ham turned down the chance to sign him in the past.
The Dutch winger, who joined the Cottagers from Besiktas in January, was brought in to Craven Cottage by former boss Claudio Ranieri in a bid to try and save the club from dropping back into the Championship.
The Netherlands international hasn’t really been able to make an impact since his January switch, and looks likely to move clubs once again in the summer, with the 32-year old unlikely to be kept on in the Championship.
Babel previously played for Liverpool between 2007 and 2011, and after leaving the Merseyside club in the winter window, Babel joined Hoffenheim in Germany, leaving for Ajax after 18 months in the Bundesliga.
Talking about his failed return to the Netherlands, Babel claimed that he was touted to West Ham, as well as Tottenham, when looking to get his career back on track. Talking to Voetbol International, as cited by Football.London, Babel said:
I was thinking of Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, West Ham United, then sub-elite clubs in the Premier League.
In Germany, Schalke 04, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund are the clubs who would have suited me.
My agent called all those clubs and the answer was always the same: “Yes, a good player, but we have three, four other options.
Then I thought: Never mind.
