over Babel's disciplinary issues with the club's hierarchy and regarding his use of social media. The club demoted him to the reserves citing poor performance. Babel joined Deportivo de La Coruña in La Liga on 17 September 2016, having been without a club since leaving the UAE. His contract was set to last for the rest of the calendar year. On 22 December, after three goals in the last four games helped Depor out of the relegation zone, he said that he would allow his contract to expire due to overseas offers that would be more convenient to his family. In January 2017, Babel joined Beşiktaş on a two-and-a-half-year deal. Despite only joining the club in January, Babel became a crucial member of the squad that season, making 18 league appearances and scoring 5 goals as he helped Beşiktaş secure their fifteenth league title. On 15 January 2019, Babel signed for Premier League club Fulham on a contract until the end of the 2018–19 season. In June 2019, he agreed to join Galatasaray on a three-year deal. On 9 January 2020, it was announced that Ajax would receive Babel on loan until the end of the season. International career Babel was born in the Netherlands and is of Surinamese descent. He took part in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. Babel scored two goals in four games as the Netherlands reached the quarter-finals. There they were defeated by Nigeria, 10–9 in a penalty shoot-out (Babel scored his penalty). Later that season, Babel made his international debut on 26 March 2005, away against Romania. He entered the game as a first-half substitute for Arjen Robben and went on to score the second goal in a 2–0 victory. The goal made Babel the youngest goalscorer in 68 years for the Netherlands and the fourth-youngest of all time. Babel had been a first team regular with Ajax in 2004–05 and finished with seven league goals in 22 appearances. In 2006, Marco van Basten included Babel in the Dutch squad for 2006 FIFA World Cup. Due to a knee injury however, Babel only featured once, as a second-half substitute for Ruud van Nistelrooy in the group match against Argentina. Van Basten has been quoted as saying Babel "has all the potential to become the next Thierry Henry". In June 2007, Babel was part of the Netherlands under-21 team competing in the UEFA Under-21 Championship,