Torres ready to walk on despite desperate Dalglish overtures

Spanish striker looking to return to Champions League immediately, but Liverpool play hardball

Miguel Delaney

Want away: Fernando Torres is said to be unwilling to waste any more time waiting for success at Anfield

Kenny Dalglish was last night desperately trying to talk transfer-seeking Fernando Torres around as Liverpool anticipated an improved offer from Chelsea. The manager and Anfield officials played heavily on Torres's special place within the club's history and fans' affections, but the striker remained prepared to sacrifice it all because of doubts about the club's future.

Despite Torres's steadfast stance, an actual transfer was still some way off. Liverpool's attempts at soft persuasion behind the scenes complemented their obstinance in public. They announced Torres's transfer request to place the burden of any exit on him, having rejected it and Chelsea's initial £35m approach. It has been suggested, however, that Liverpool will accept a £50m bid rather than keep an unhappy player.

No longer willing to waste the peak years of his career waiting on another possible false dawn at Anfield, Torres is understood to be in a particular hurry to win the first club medal of his career and get back into the Champions League. This explains his desire to join Chelsea, a choice which has perturbed Liverpool supporters. Torres would not be cup tied for the Champions League and, as such, feels he could immediately improve Chelsea's challenge for it, not to mention refresh their Premier League title defence.

In truth, too, Chelsea are the only credible top-level option that are actively interested in the striker at this point.

Elsewhere, Sunderland have confirmed the loan signing of Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari from Inter Milan until the end of the season. And across the Tyne Wear divide, Newcastle have rejected a Tottenham Hotspur bid for Andy Carroll and insisted the striker will not be leaving St James's Park in this window.

January 30, 2011

Comments

#1 Bill commented, on January 30, 2011 at 6:42 p.m.:

If they offer £80mil + Drogba there may be a deal to be done. If Torres stays and starts throwing his dummy out of the pram and playing badly then nobody will want him, so that scenario is out.

All this has come about because of Torres's agent, 10% of a 50 plus million transfer fee and 10 million a year wage adds up to a lot of commission if he can get him to move.

All agents should be hung, drawn and quartered.

#2 redtum commented, on January 30, 2011 at 6:49 p.m.:

Don't beg Kenny if he want's to go let him go Suarez will score Wednesday night then it will be Fernando who,Fernando who,Fernando who,Fernando who, to the tune of With a Liver Bird upon my chest.Sing it Wenesday night.

#3 gerry malone commented, on January 30, 2011 at 6:50 p.m.:

Could not believe it when I heard it, was shocked and gutted. But now am thinking lets get as much as we can for him and rebuild for the bright future we have ahead of us, things are on the way up at Anfield and Torres will live to regret walking out on the best club team in the world, he has been terrible this season bar one or two games all he has done for us this year is go around with his long face mouthing off to refs about everything that went aginst us, just hope have time to get someone else in be fore the window closes.

#4 steve commented, on January 30, 2011 at 8:25 p.m.:

i want us to sell him right now..he hands in a transfer request for a move to chelsea??hahahahah the guy is a total disgrace..42million+anelka=DONE deal.with those money ashley young for 15-20 million and Charlie Adam for 8 million and we'll finish higher than overaged chelsea!!!
Reina
Kelly Carragher Agger Johnson
Adam Meireles
Gerrard
Anelka Suarez Young

#5 blue army commented, on January 30, 2011 at 8:29 p.m.:

Torres in blue is a dream come true!! Liverpool have rinsed Torres dry, no wonder hes injured all the time, he aint won 1 club medal and hes 26, of course he wants to come to the CHAMPIONS!

#6 Mezza commented, on January 30, 2011 at 8:31 p.m.:

£80M + Drog?! Are you insane??? Liverpool have nothing to offer quality platers any more - a dusty trophy cabinet. They have a history that is unrivalled but are no longer making history. Scousers should be glad that the reputed £50m falls into the hands of Kenny and not the previous two muppet managers.....KTBFFH!

#7 eddie ryan commented, on January 30, 2011 at 8:38 p.m.:

It's a modern day trend. Not only can players demand and command money for nothing. They can then hold a club to ransom because they are not delivering the trophies their huge ego's demand. Think about these guys for a moment. They get paid fortunes for playing the sport they love. They have no loyalty whatsoever. Half the time as in the case of Fernando,they live on their reputations. Remember this is a guy who went to a world cup and failed to perform. He then came back like a sulky boy and went trough the motions for a season. Sell him and get what you can Liverpool, he is just another gold digger, another product of footballs self service academy. Liverpool football club deserves players who would die for the shirt. Remember lots of decent people lost their lives cheering this great old club. To their memory give them players who have decent honest standards, not these moaning over paid prima donna's!

#8 Mike commented, on January 31, 2011 at 8:58 a.m.:

It's time the Liverpool fans let torres go. He wants top flight football and it's unfair to prevent a great player from that. He wants to join a big club so let him go gracefully.

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