£27m Torres heading for Anfield as Benítez makes striking move

Sid Lowe in Madrid
Friday June 29, 2007

Guardian
Liverpool and Atlético Madrid have agreed a deal to take Fernando Torres to Anfield. Liverpool will pay fractionally less than the €40m (£27m) buy-out clause Torres has at the Vicente Calderón, leaving the 23-year-old striker to finalise personal terms before the move goes ahead. Neither side anticipates major difficulties in closing the deal, with Liverpool understanding that any percentage of the transfer fee due to Torres must be paid by Atlético.

Luis García is set to go in the other direction for almost £4m but although his move facilitates negotiations on Torres and would bring down the cash price, the deals are not interdependent. Liverpool paid £6m for García when he joined three summers ago but their manager, Rafa Benítez, is prepared to release him and García is keen on a return to Spain to play for the club where he spent a successful season in 2002-03, scoring nine times in 30 games.

Although Atlético fans protested against the sale of Torres - the captain, standard-bearer and the player they have called The Kid since he made his debut at 16 - the club have decided it is time to cash in on their greatest asset. "No one is irreplaceable," said their major shareholder, Miguel Angel Gil Marín. "We have to build a competitive team and no one player, however good he is, can achieve our objectives on his own. Last time I spoke to Fernando he said he was staying but I can't prevent him having a change of heart and I have to be prepared for that."

Atlético have previously had to withstand an offer from Tottenham and informal approaches from Chelsea for Torres, but agreed to drop Torres's buy-out clause from €90m to €40m this summer to facilitate a move. They are keen on a cash injection and Torres has grown tired of waiting to fulfil his dream of playing in Europe for the club. He has always insisted he does not want to play for another Spanish team and is an admirer of the Premiership.

"If I left Spain I'd like to go to England, because it's interesting and because the way they play in Italy's not so attractive," he said 18 months ago. Liverpool wanted to offer Djibril Cissé as part of the deal but the Frenchman rejected the move. Torres scored 14 league goals last season, taking him to 75 in five top-flight seasons.

Liverpool have signed the 18-year-old Athletic Bilbao defender Mikel San José for £270,000 and given their 22-year-old midfielder Mohamed Sissoko a new four-year contract.

He's worth £12 Mil at the most imo. If he's not flourishing and scoring 20-30 goals a season over there he'll struggle in England imo. May prove me wrong but he has silly hair.

Originally Posted by Crumpsall

He's worth £12 Mil at the most imo.

£12M? Have you seen what you get for £12M in today's transfer market? I agree he's overpriced at £27M, but £12M is going way too far in the other direction.

I actually worry that he will be quite good for them

no way he's worth that kind of money, but certainly has the ability to bang in 15-20 goals

Originally Posted by Serenity Now

£12M? Have you seen what you get for £12M in today's transfer market? I agree he's overpriced at £27M, but £12M is going way too far in the other direction.

I wouldn't buy him tbh. He's in a Spanish team that's built around him and Diego out performs him goal wise. I personally wouldn't touch him with a shitty stick. He will not get any better than he currently is imo. Leroy Lita > Torres

Originally Posted by croberts

but certainly has the ability to bang in 15-20 goals

He struggles to that in Spain though.

Torres has many great qualities. He's strong, fit, very quick, mobile, decent in the air and has good technical ability. In one-on-one situations with space in behind the defence, either after a diagonal run into the channel or through the middle against a high defensive line, he's one of the best in the world. But for me, he has never looked a natural goalscorer.

If that's what the dippers think they're getting then my feeling is that they'll be disappointed.

liverpool need a completely different kind of player for the way they play. the perfect player for them would be drogba, imho. i can see torres doing okish for them but i think the move will be a disaster for him personally. this time next year his agent will be sounding out clubs in spain because he'll be desperate to get out. pity, because he's very talented and would be a big success in a footballing team like united.

this is shevchenko to chelsea misfit. he's just a bit of a donkey, but he's the right type of player (and far better than that idiot kuyt). I can't say I'm not a teensy-weensy bit jealous.

So they do have money after all.

Thank god they didn't go for David Villa or Samuel Eto'o then.

As robbo said people were creaming themselves when that spaniard off sky said he was definately coming to us. Now he's signing for the dippers he's suddenly dog shit.

He is a very good footballer and only a wipper-snapper. We should have got him.

Originally Posted by jem

this is shevchenko to chelsea misfit. he's just a bit of a donkey, but he's the right type of player (and far better than that idiot kuyt). I can't say I'm not a teensy-weensy bit jealous.

You've been calling him a donkey all year?

Originally Posted by Barca '91

As robbo said people were creaming themselves when that spaniard off sky said he was definately coming to us. Now he's signing for the dippers he's suddenly dog shit.

He is a very good footballer and only a wipper-snapper. We should have got him.

Liverpool have undoubtedly over-paid for him, just like we have to a lesser extent for Hargreaves, fact is though, it's players who play not pricetags. In the end they've gat a fantastic footballer who doesn't score enough. As to us signing him, you can't sign everyone, this isn't Champ Manager and we haven't got £27 million to spend on another striker. I'm actually fairly pleased the dippers have put all their eggs in this basket and not adressed any of their other glaring problems.

he will be back in spain within a year

Torres is a good player but why is no one else in for him? Arsenal, Chelsea, Utd, Milan, Barca? nft.

Originally Posted by El Calafate

Torres is a good player but why is no one else in for him? Arsenal, Chelsea, Utd, Milan, Barca? nft.

I suspect that it's for 2 main reasons. He really doesn't score enough for his talent level and there is a suggestion that he lacks a bit of heart.

Originally Posted by borsuk

liverpool need a completely different kind of player for the way they play. the perfect player for them would be drogba, imho. i can see torres doing okish for them but i think the move will be a disaster for him personally. this time next year his agent will be sounding out clubs in spain because he'll be desperate to get out. pity, because he's very talented and would be a big success in a footballing team like united.

I'd agree with that.

If I was in Torres' shoes I wouldn't want to go anywhere near the likes of Liverpool or Chelsea, both managers are renowned for being unbelievably cautious - and in both cases the striker is almost used as an 11th defender.

The game plan seems to be hoofing the ball up in the direction of a target man, who runs around making himself a nuisance to the defenders. It's a bit of a battering ram approach - the old Wimbledon style.

I think his best options would have been very attacking teams like us or Arsenal, but maybe he didn't have the option to go to either?

He's a good player, and he's a potentially excellent player ... but his talent will be completely wasted at Liverpool.

"If I left Spain I'd like to go to England, because it's interesting and because the way they play in Italy's not so attractive,"

So I'll go to Liverpool instead.

er . . .

Originally Posted by El Calafate

Torres is a good player but why is no one else in for him? Arsenal, Chelsea, Utd, Milan, Barca? nft.

Thats what i'm suprised about, I would of loved him here but the price is probably too much for us

Thank £#%&! we didn't get conned into paying 27m for him

nft