Babel was once tipped as the next superstar of Dutch football after bursting onto the scene with hometown club Ajax Amsterdam as a 17-year-old back in 2004.
His arrival was met with major optimism from the Reds faithful as English media lauded him as 'the next Thierry Henry'.
But after four seasons, the Dutchman left with his reputation tarnished as his spell was blighted by inconsistent performances and injuries.
Eight years on and six clubs' later after spells in Germany, Turkey, Holland, UAE and Spain, the now 32-year-old has 'agreed' to join Fulham on a six-month loan deal as the Besiktas continue their mid-season clear out of their top earners.
According to Dutch publication The Telegraaf, Babel will become the third Dutchman to play for the Cottagers after Edwin van der Sar and Johnny Heitinga.
The nomadic forward will be seeking to steer Claudio Ranieri's side to safety as they currently languish in 19th place, five points off the drop zone.