Rafa gets his £47m man Torres
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Fernando Torres is due to have a medical today after Liverpool finally reached agreement on a club record transfer that will cost them a staggering £47million. Despite claims that Atletico Madrid were holding out for the £27m escape clause in Torres's contract, the fee for the Spain striker has been set at around £20m, with Luis Garcia moving in the opposite direction for £4m.
But with the 23-year old's contract worth £90,000 a week over six years, Liverpool's overall outlay will be £47m for the high-profile signing Rafa Benitez demanded in the immediate aftermath of his side's Champions League Final defeat by AC Milan just over a month ago. Homegrown crowd favourite Torres was putting together a farewell message to disgruntled Atletico fans before flying to Merseyside for a medical and an Anfield press conference that could take place tomorrow. Now Benitez is closing in on another significant transfer breakthrough after dramatic developments in his pursuit of Gabriel Heinze.
The Liverpool manager was wary of strong interest in Heinze from Real Madrid and Manchester United's reluctance to sell to one of their main Premiership rivals, but he was told yesterday that the Argentina defender favoured a move to Anfield. Heinze, who is keen to remain in the Premiership and is attracted by the prospect of a regular starting place under Benitez, began the process of winning United round by sending his agent to Old Trafford yesterday to make his feelings known.
Liverpool are more than willing to meet an asking price of around £5m, while Heinze could yet scupper any resistance from United by buying out the two years left on his contract. It would cost him £4.5m, but he would then be a free agent and could recoup the sum in the form of a signing-on fee from Liverpool.
As United came under growing pressure to sanction the first transfer between the clubs since Phil Chisnall left Old Trafford for Anfield in 1964, Liverpool were preparing to hand Torres the No 9 shirt vacated by Robbie Fowler after finally winning a battle of wills over the length of the Spaniard's contract.
Torres, who joined Atletico as an 11-year-old, has been the club's top scorer for the last five seasons, completing his most successful campaign in 2003-04 when he struck 19 goals. He was on target three times for Spain in the 2006 World Cup. Luis Garcia arrived in Madrid yesterday for a medical on his injured knee prior to his likely return to Atletico, where he played in 2002-03.
Liverpool will now step up efforts to agree the permanent transfer of Djibril Cisse to Marseille. They will also attempt to offload Craig Bellamy to West Ham, Aston Villa, Newcastle or Blackburn, leaving Peter Crouch, Dirk Kuyt and Andriy Voronin to battle it out for a place alongside Torres.
Fowler, freed after an 18-month second stint at Anfield, has put his house in the Wirral on the market but has yet to find a new club, despite being linked with MLS side New England Revolution, Sydney FC and Glasgow rivals Rangers and Celtic. "Not everyone can get a club and I'm in that boat," said the 32-year-old. "My record speaks for itself, but we will have to wait and see if anything happens." -
i think should sign defoe instead...
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Again, a huge gamble Benitez cannot afford to lose.
Cheers.
CK -
Torres Expected In Liverpool Today
Fernando Torres has already cut short his vacation and returned to Madrid, and is expected in Liverpool today...
While it is possible that the medical actually takes place tomorrow morning before the official presentation, the deal will be confirmed today itself.
That will bring to an end a saga that has run for around ten days, ever since Goal.com had exclusively confirmed that Liverpool officials had travelled to Madrid to discuss a move for Fernando Torres.
It has taken a while for the financial details to be sorted out, but all parties seem to be happy now.
Torres will take the number of strikers at Rafa Benitez's disposal up to five, with Peter Crouch, Dirk Kuyt, Craig Bellamy and Andriy Voronin already on the Reds' books. That, assuming they offload Djibril Cisse, who is also a Liverpool player as of now.
It is unclear whether one more striker will be allowed to leave. Surely Rafa cannot keep five front men happy! -
i will cry if he is a flop
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wah.. exciting leh.. so much hyper abt him since 1-2 seasons back.. next season really exciting..
no left with Arsenal among the big 4 to show some significant tranfer movement.. -
i would love to watch him and kuyt play together. maybe pool can now start scoring big instead of their usual 2-0 wins
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I think there will be a explosion legion of female fans waiting for the season to start when he really does don the LFC jersey.
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big teams dun consistently win big ya know..Originally posted by used:i would love to watch him and kuyt play together. maybe pool can now start scoring big instead of their usual 2-0 wins
as the saying goes.. not everyday is sunday.. -
damm...47 million...shit...hope his worthy..
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dont need to be constantlyOriginally posted by Gackt247:big teams dun consistently win big ya know..
as the saying goes.. not everyday is sunday..
just once in a while let the flood gates open can already
i notice that once pool have a cushion lead the would sit back and play out time -
tt's a rational way of doing things.. conserve energy..Originally posted by used:dont need to be constantly
just once in a while let the flood gates open can already
i notice that once pool have a cushion lead the would sit back and play out time
but den again might backfire.. -
Torres edges closer to Anfield
Fernando Torres has passed a medical at Liverpool and is expected to complete his £26.5million move to Anfield in the next 24 hours.
The Atletico Madrid sensation will now return to his home country to bid goodbye to his fans in the Spanish capital, before travelling back to Merseyside to be presented as Liverpool's record signing.
"The player has passed a medical," confirmed a club spokesman.
"All the agreements are now in place and he will put pen to paper on the deal on Wednesday."
Rafa Benitez has targeted Torres as a key recruit as he looks to mount a challenge for the Premier League title next season, and the substantial outlay on the striker nicknamed 'El Nino' is certainly a prominent signal of intent on the part of the Anfield boss.
Torres is expected to sign a six-year contract worth around £90,000 per week upon joining the five-time European Cup winners, and his arrival will likely increase speculation regarding the futures of Craig Bellamy and Peter Crouch.
Manchester City have been linked with a move for Crouch with former England boss Sven Goran Eriksson set to take charge at Eastlands, but Liverpool have played down speculation that the fans' favourite could be sold.
Chief executive Rick Parry insists the unique striker remains very much a key player at Anfield.
"It is not true that he is the only player not to have been approached about a new deal and he is very much part of Rafa Benitez's future plans," stated Parry.
Luis Garcia has already been moved out of Anfield to help accommodate Torres, joining Atletico in a £4million deal on Tuesday. -
Official: Atletico Madrid Confirm Torres Sale, Liverpool Confirm Medical
Atletico Madrid have confirmed that they have sold Fernando Torres to Liverpool. The Spanish international has also completed his medical at Anfield, and will be officially presented to the press tomorrow.
The striker reached Liverpool this afternoon and headed straight to Anfield, where he completed his medical without much ado.
The Atletico star has returned to Madrid for a farewell, but fly back to Liverpool around noon tomorrow, when he will ink the deal and be presented before the media.
Atleti have confirmed the transfer on their website: "Club Atletico de Madrid has reached an agreement with Liverpool Football Club for the sale of Fernando Torres to the British club."
"The player, accompanied by Don Enrique Cerezo and Jesus Garcia Pitarch, will hold a farewell press conference on Wednesday 4 July."
Liverpool have responded by confirming that the player had passes his medical exam.
Said a club spokesman: "The player has passed a medical. All the agreements are now in place and he will put pen to paper on the deal on Wednesday."
Contrary to other reports which quote the cash sum to be around 32 million euros, Goal.com sources reveal that the deal is worth around 27-28m. Luis Garcia goes the other way as a part of the deal, and was presented at El Calderon this afternoon.
He had initially demanded a six year contract worth £100,000 a week, but eventually settled for £90,000. Atletico Madrid have the right to first refusal should Liverpool decide to sell him in the future. -
if he flops, RB will lose his job.
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hmm, very likely to happen, especially he's in epl now.Originally posted by BÃ¥seline:I think there will be a explosion legion of female fans waiting for the season to start when he really does don the LFC jersey. -
Is Torres Liverpool's missing link?
Premiership | Liverpool
by Phil McNulty - BBC Sport 03 July 2007
Fernando Torres is being painted as the final piece in Liverpool's jigsaw - a puzzle that remains incomplete after 17 title-free years at Anfield.
"The final piece of the jigsaw" is a phrase that has become synonymous with Liverpool in an era when they have failed to win the trophy they covet most.
The pieces have been assembled by a succession of managers, only for men like Graeme Souness, Roy Evans and latterly Gerard Houllier to find another crucial bit had gone astray.
Boss Benitez has suffered a similar fate, despite successes in the Champions League and the FA Cup.
The list is endless - Paul Ince, Stan Collymore, Harry Kewell and Djibril Cisse to name but a few.
Now Torres is poised to take on the cursed mantle, complete with a huge £26.5m transfer fee and a lavish six-year contact to match.
The 23-year-old Spain striker will be under pressure to deliver - but this deal has as much riding on it for Benitez as it has for Liverpool.
Benitez has cited a lack of funds and an inability to compete for A-list stars as reasons for his failure to get anywhere near the Premiership pace-setters.
He made his most pointed accusations in what appeared to be a fit of pique after the Champions League final defeat against AC Milan in Athens in May.
It is a claim which will draw gales of laughter from some clubs, given the scale of investment handed to him by Liverpool's board in the last three seasons - much of it spent on very ordinary players.
It is also a claim he can never make again - not when new owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks have broken Liverpool's transfer record in such emphatic style.
The arrival of Torres is as much a defining test of Benitez's title credentials as it is of the young Spanish striker's glowing reputation.
There can be no more excuses if they fail to threaten Manchester United and Chelsea this season.
Torres is A-list and expensive; a symbol of the sort of player Benitez claims has been out of his reach before.
Now he has got him, bought and paid for in a record-breaking manner, he can no longer use finance as his shield against expectations.
And yet, despite his undoubted quality, Torres comes with an element of risk as well as an expensive price tag.
He is powerful, athletic, proven in Spain, if not beyond, and able to play as a lone striker as well as in a partnership.
But he is untested in the Premier League and is so costly that inevitably huge pressure will be placed upon him.
Benitez must hope he does not suffer the same fate as Fernando Morientes, who arrived at Anfield amid much fanfare.
He was a failure, skulking back to Spain quick-smart complaining that defenders in the top flight had the affrontery to tackle him. And tackle him quite hard.
Torres is the identikit of the sort of player Liverpool need to add to a miserly defence and an array of midfield talent.
If he comes off he could actually be, well, the last piece of the jigsaw.
Liverpool lost points and games they should have won last season because they were essentially a blunt instrument in attack.
Craig Bellamy has not been up to the job and, while Dirk Kuyt may have a heart as big as a bucket, he is hardly ruthless operator in front of goal.
Peter Crouch remains Liverpool's most reliable striker, but Benitez would not trust him with a starting place in the Champions League final.
Torres must come up with the goals his price tag demands - and this is because the stakes are as high for Benitez as they are for Liverpool. -
some comments from UK fans ->
Liverpool's missing link ???
How many times have we heard this, Collymore £8m / Diouf £10m / Riedle / Litmanen and many more overpriced superstar flops. Face it, you'll never replace the likes of Rush / Fowler / Aldridge who got you 20-30 goals a season each.
£26 million ????
He'd better be good or Liverpool will become a laughing stock.... -
We always have striker problem recently, let's hope this is a good bet.
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Torres passes Liverpool medical
Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres has passed a medical at Liverpool and is set to complete his £26.5m move to Anfield on Wednesday.
Torres, 23, has flown back to Madrid where he will hold a press conference to say goodbye to Atletico fans.
He will return to Liverpool on Wednesday afternoon and BBC Sport understands he will sign a six-year contract before he is unveiled.
The Reds will then target Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze.
Villarreal's Diego Forlan has been lined up to replace the departing Torres in a £14.2m deal, while the Anfield club have recouped some of their outlay by selling Luis Garcia to Atletico for £4m.
Garcia, meanwhile expects Torres to be a major success once he completes his move to Liverpool.
He said: "Wherever he ends up playing, I believe he will give his best. I think the great players adapt well to any team and any league, Torres is one of them."
Once the Torres deal is done, Benitez will increase his efforts to seal a shock deal for 29-year-old Argentine Heinze.
It may prove complicated, however, with fierce rivals Liverpool and United notoriously reluctant to sell players to each other.
But it is understood the Merseysiders have been given enough encouragement from Heinze's camp to pursue their interest.
Liverpool officials are playing their cards close to their chest on the Torres deal, a move that shatters their previous club record, the £14m paid to Auxerre for Djibril Cisse three seasons ago.
But it now appears only the formalities remain after Torres cut short his holiday to fly to Anfield.
Spanish international Garcia signed for Atletico on Tuesday.
And even though Atletico are reluctant to sell Torres, he is keen to link up with Benitez.
Benitez wanted to land Torres to provide a spearhead for an assault on the title - and also allow Liverpool owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks to demonstrate their own financial commitment to his plans.
Torres has been consistently linked with a move to England, particularly with Arsenal and Chelsea, but Liverpool will now win the race.
He will join fellow countrymen Pepe Reina and Xabi Alonso, as well as boss Benitez, at Anfield.
Gil Marin, Atletico's major shareholder insisted that Torres is not irreplaceable.
"Nobody is indispensable. No player by himself, very good though he is, is able to make a team achieve its aims," Gil Marin said on Punto Radio.
"We have spoken to him and told him we would like him to stay. It is normal that he has doubts. It is normal that the offers and everything surrounding them has made him think."
Torres scored 14 league goals in 36 starts last season as Atletico finished seventh in La Liga.
The Spain international's Atletico contract runs until 2009.
Torres came up though the youth ranks at Atletico and has been their leading scorer in each of the last five seasons.
Cheers.
CK -
I belief he will do quite well for Pool, maybe 15 goals > ... Probably Spain's best player tho some will say its David Villa...
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Fernando Torres will become the spearhead of Liverpool's attack
Liverpool are expected to announce Fernando Torres as their £26.5million record signing on Wednesday after he passed a medical. He will hold a media conference to say his goodbye to Atletico fans in the morning. The 23-year-old will then return to Liverpool where he will be unveiled as boss Rafael Benitez's prized summer capture. -
My friend who's a Liverpool fan actually said he can fit in2 live pool easily cause he's yet another bad striker.Wtf?
Oh well..maybe he can play better than he did in La Liga...In fact..he need 2..cause his performances and records in La Liga are like..at most above average... -
it is always a risk signing a foreign striker.
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so now what? Pool have tooo many strikers - bellamy, kuyt, crouch, torres & voroin....who is going out?
they shld also strengthen their defence to complement agger. Hyppia is over expiry date liaoz.