Chelsea intensify efforts to get Torres

CHELSEA WILL return with an improved €46 million offer for Fernando Torres with the English Premier League champions hopeful of closing the deal before Monday’s transfer deadline after the striker told Liverpool he wants to leave.

Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, is prepared to add the young striker Daniel Sturridge as a makeweight in the new bid, which will follow the €40 million that was rejected by Liverpool on Thursday.

Chelsea intend to push hard for what would be a stunning coup and have been encouraged both by Torres’ actions – although he has not yet submitted a formal transfer request – and by Liverpool agreeing a €26.5 million deal with Ajax for Luis Suarez yesterday.

The Suarez fee, which will place him second to Torres as the most expensive signing in Liverpool’s history, represents a €11 million increase on the offer Ajax rejected earlier this week.

Fenway Sports Group (FSG), Liverpool’s owners, hope the signing of the Uruguay international, who has still to complete a medical and agree personal terms, will convince Torres of their ambitions and they remain adamant that their leading goalscorer is not for sale.

However, the 26-year-old has reached the point where he believes a departure from Anfield is the right move for his career and does not want to miss for the second time the opportunity to join Chelsea. He has urged FSG to broker an agreement that is good for both himself and the club.

Chelsea’s move carries an opportunistic edge. They tried to sign Torres last summer, only for Liverpool to put a prohibitive price tag on him. Chelsea were mindful that Manchester City were also after the Spaniard. Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea owner, was not prepared to enter into an auction. That remains the case.

But with City having signed Edin Dzeko from Wolfsburg for €32 million earlier in the month, Chelsea feel they might have a clear shot at Torres now. Hence their determination to get him during this transfer window rather than wait until the summer, when City and others might re-enter the bidding.

Another factor in Chelsea’s late move is the €58 million release clause he was granted by Liverpool last summer. Sources close to Torres have denied such a clause exists and, in this transfer window, that is correct. It is understood the clause comes into effect this summer should Liverpool fail to qualify for the Champions League.

Any suitor would have to pay €58 million to release Torres from a €128,000-a-week contract that runs until 2013 should they remain outside the top four.

Torres sought assurances he could leave in the event of another disappointing season last summer, when he knew Chelsea and City were circling. Those discussions were held with the then managing director, Christian Purslow, who has left the club, and ultimately led to the striker’s pledging his loyalty to Liverpool.

Torres also wanted assurances over the future of the club and what funds were available for rebuilding the squad when Liverpool were bought by the new owners. His camp believes promises have been broken.

Liverpool are not the club that Torres joined in 2007. The striker is pessimistic over the future and his patience has worn thin. Roy Hodgson’s departure and the appointment of Dalglish as manager were steps in the right direction but not enough to ease the forward’s misgivings.

It is now a case of Liverpool convincing Torres not to go, having secured a deal for Suarez following renewed talks in Amsterdam yesterday afternoon, and whether he stands firm on his intention to leave before Monday.

Torres is hopeful of Liverpool recognising that his departure could be good for all concerned. Liverpool signed him for €26 million; they could make more than €22 million profit if they were to sell now.

Guardian Service