“Torres is a team player who we value very much”. Those are the words of interim Chelsea coach Roberto Di Matteo. Well, yes, Roberto but do you value him at £50m? Perhaps it’s unfair to focus on his price-tag – an arbitrary figure that Roman Abramovich seemingly pulled out of his hat back in January 2011. So I’ll throw out another figure: 24 hours without a goal. I guess he’s a bit like a non-action Jack Bauer. The budget’s there, but there’s just no substance.
For all the talk about his great link-up play and excellent movement the likelihood is that he’ll go down in history as one of football’s biggest flops – a damn shame for somebody who was at one time regarded as one of the best talents in European football. It’s clear that he doesn’t fit in at Chelsea and that his confidence is shot. The question remains: can things get any better for him if he stays at the club?
Which brings me to the speculation amongst the Papers and the online media that Fernando Torres is going to be up for sale this summer as the Blues hold a clear out. The feeling is that Chelsea are keen to get rid of a number of players when the transfer window reopens and that Torres is one of the players that could be used to finance moves for new talent.
This makes me wonder: would Liverpool fans take their one time hero back at the club – or has that ship now sailed?
There’s some history in this regard. After Andriy Shevchenko’s woeful stay at Chelsea he was sent back on loan to his old club. Would the Blues be willing to do a cut-price deal with Liverpool to send Torres back to Anfield? At this moment it’s all just speculation, but it’s still worth wondering if Liverpool fans would take him back.
If we were talking about the Torres of old, this would be a no brainer. Unfortunately there’s no guarantee that a move would spur him back into life. Chelsea will want to make sure that they get a decent amount of money from his sale whilst other teams like Liverpool may be wary of taking the gamble. It’s an awkward situation for everybody involved.
At 27-years-old he’s supposed to be at his peak. In fact, he should be on the lookout for his last major long-term contract. Are Liverpool able to provide this?
The truth is that what the Reds need more than anything else is a natural goalscorer. Carroll’s a Torres-esque flop, Suarez seems to hit the post more than he hits the back of the net and then there’s basically nobody else. Torres used to be a goalscorer of this ilk, sadly he’s not anymore. Given that there’s little evidence that he’ll ever recover his form, I think he’s one that Liverpool and any other top club should steer clear of.
Hopefully a return to Spain beckons.
What’s your take? Would you take Torres at your club?
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Yes bring him back to anfield!!!