PAPERS: CHELSEA NEED £70M FOR TORRES
Posted 28/01/11 08:42
Liverpool have confirmed that they have rejected an offer from Chelsea for Fernando Torres - but the story isn't going away with Fleet Street predicting a follow-up bid from Stamford Bridge that may be worth as much as £70m.
Here's what the papers are saying...
'Roman Abramovich sanctioned the club-record bid hoping that it would be enough finally to snare Torres, a player whom the Chelsea owner has long admired and has attempted to sign on at least one previous occasion.
'Liverpool dismissed the proposed deal out of hand, informing Chelsea that they are not interested in selling the 26-year-old, who has shown signs recently of returning to the kind of form that marked him out as one of Europe's most lethal strikers, a succession of injuries having reduced his effectiveness.
'Although it was not publicised at the time, Liverpool had inserted a clause in Torres's contract that would allow him to leave in the event of a club making a £50 million offer for his services. Chelsea's bid falls some way short of that figure and if they return with an improved offer, it is unlikely to be higher than £40 million' - The Times.
'Abramovich may be hard to shake off, though. And after failing with a similar bid for the player in the summer, he could now go as high as £50m for the World Cup winner over the weekend.
'If the Russian billionaire does get his man, the Spaniard's first match could be against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on February 6.
'It is thought Torres has a gentleman's agreement allowing him to leave in the summer.
'But Chelsea are banking on the Merseysiders deciding it is best to cash in now - especially with their deal for £25m-rated Ajax striker Luis Suarez almost sealed' - The Sun.
'Torres reached an informal understanding with Liverpool before the New England Sports Ventures (NESV) group took over in October that he would be permitted to leave at the end of this season if Liverpool had again failed to qualify for the Champions League and a good offer came in. When that understanding was reached, Torres did not know that Liverpool would collapse to a position so far adrift of the Premier League elite.
'Liverpool, who last night had a second, £15m bid for Ajax's Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez turned down, would certainly not contemplate allowing Torres to go and only a knockout offer that resembled the £70m tabled last May would seem likely to generate the remotest interest at Anfield. The move comes just at a time when the club feel Dalglish's restorative effect on the player is starting to take effect' - The Independent.
'This time, an air of desperation clings to his bid: Chelsea's spectacular collapse in the title race, their evident need to strengthen their ageing, depleting resources, has driven Abramovich to pay way over the odds for what he sees as a miracle cure.
'That Chelsea's attempts to sign arguably the Premier League's most marketable, most recognisable star can be portrayed as an ill-judged, kneejerk splurge, rather than intelligent recruitment, says much about their plight. It says more, though, about how far Torres himself has fallen.
'Had the Spanish international seen his effort against Fulham on Wednesday night given, Torres would have scored four goals in five games under Kenny Dalglish's stewardship. It is that sort of form which makes him so desirable to Abramovich.
'On Merseyside, that has been welcomed as a return to his best, as proof of the adage that class is permanent, form merely temporary. Yet that Torres, the Torres of pace and power, of magic and menace, has been absent for too long for a fortnight of efficacy to end his purgatory' - The Daily Telegraph.
'If the Reds decide to do a deal this time, the cash would be made available to new boss Kenny Dalgish to rebuild the struggling side, said sources at Anfield. Liverpool have been linked with Ajax forward Luis Suarez and Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam, who would cost a total of £30m.
'The sale of Torres, who met Dalglish to duscuss his future, would finance those purchases and leave plenty more to spend. After a dreadful start to the season, Torres has shown signs of returning to his best form in the last fortnight.
'The main stumbling block to the sale of Torres is FSG's concerns about the reaction it would provoke from Liverpool supporters.
'The bid is proof of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's continued commitment to the club after rumours his interest was waning' - The Daily Mirror.
'Torres is a sensible target as he is a proven performer, young enough, at 26, to have some resale value and still disenchanted at Liverpool despite the arrival of Kenny Dalglish. The Spaniard has also been on Chelsea's radar for some time.
'In previous years Abramovich's kneejerk response to a crisis has been to sack his manager, but he appears finally to have accepted that the time has come to overhaul his squad, an equally significant aspect of his post-Christmas epiphany - The Times.
'Chelsea will have to move quickly if they want to tie up a deal for Torres before the transfer window closes at 11pm on Monday, but it will take a huge offer to persuade Liverpool chairman John W Henry to sanction the sale.
'Henry will be wary of a backlash from the Anfield faithful should they lose their talisman, while the likes of skipper Steven Gerrard would also see his departure as a sign that the club lacks ambition, and may even force him to consider his own future.
'Torres's contract, which runs until the summer of 2013, is worth £110,000 a week but Chelsea could easily double that - The Daily Mail.