Fernando Torres' time at Liverpool could be at an end
Victory over Portsmouth at Wembley today would see the Blues secure their first League and FA Cup triumph and owner Roman Abramovich will immediately start work towards an assault on the Champions League next season.
Torreshas emerged as the top target and the Chelsea hierarchy have been given so much encouragement about a potential British-record transfer that confidence of him moving to Stamford Bridge is sky high. Liverpool’s terrible season, together with uncertainty over the future of Anfield boss Rafa Benitez, has made Torres a realistic option, especially with Manchester City’s failure to qualify for the Champions League denting their hopes of attracting the player.
Discreet inquiries have led Chelsea to believe Torres can be tempted out of Liverpool to London and even his Spanish international team-mates are aware that initial discussions have taken place.
A deal to sign Torres would cost in the region of £70million, a figure that would push the limits of even Abramovich’s considerable purse strings, but he has not been put off by talk of the fee involved.
Benitez
has made it clear he wants to keep Torres if he remains in charge at
the club and the player himself would have to ask for the move to force
Liverpool’s hand and spark formal negotiations.
Torres
has so far remained eerily quiet on his future, as he and his advisors
consider whether Liverpool can meet his personal ambitions and aims
without Champions League football next term.
Abramovich
certainly feels Chelsea would be able to give Torres the ideal platform
from which to showcase his considerable talent, as the Blues aim to go
into next season with their best chance of finally winning the
Champions League.
Both Abramovich and manager
Carlo Ancelotti are convinced Chelsea need an injection of quality into
their current squad to take an extra step in Europe – and Didier Drogba
has already talked up the prospect of playing alongside Torres.
Torres
joined Liverpool from Atletico Madrid for about £20m in 2007 and only
last year signed a new £110,000-a-week contract with the Merseysiders.
Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano’s contract negotiations are unlikely to be resolved until after the World Cup.
Argentina
captain Mascherano has been in discussions over a new deal for three
months and it was anticipated an agreement would be reached by the end
of the season.
He was expected to follow the
lead of goalkeeper Jose Reina, who signed a new six-year contract last
month, but so far nothing has been finalised.
Back
in March, Benitez said that he expected Mascherano to sign his new deal
with the club by the end of the Premier League campaign.
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