Roman Abramovich Travels To South Africa To Lure Torres

• Poignant

  5 Jul 10, 21:51

  Fernando Torres set for Liverpool exit as agent admits Premier League big boys are interested
  

  Fernando Torres appeared to be on the verge of leaving Liverpool after his agent indicated the striker is bound for another Premier League club.

  Chelsea are at the front of the queue to sign the Spaniard and Manchester City also showed interest before moving on to other targets when they got little encouragement from the 26-year-old.

  Agent Jose Antonio Martin said: ‘It is very likely that Fernando Torres will stay in the Premier League, but I cannot say that it will be with Liverpool. We are working on his future but right now you cannot guarantee that he will stay with the English club.’

  

  Pastures new: Fernando Torres' agent claims the striker could leave Liverpool for another Premier League team

  

  Tough task: Roy Hodgson could face a player exodus at Anfield

  Barcelona have been linked with a move for Torres, but Martin made it clear they will not challenge Chelsea for Torres’ signature.

  ‘It is ruled out,’ said Martin. ‘Barcelona have signed David Villa and now they want to invest the money they have in other players.’

  Sportsmail revealed in May that Torres was a £70million target for Chelsea and, despite Roy Hodgson insisting he would do all he could to keep the Spaniard and Steven Gerrard, the new Liverpool manager could offer no guarantees.

  Having already sold Yossi Benayoun to Chelsea, Hodgson would prefer to raise funds for his squad rebuilding by selling the likes of Javier Mascherano and Albert Riera.

  But Hodgson knows such is the state of Liverpool’s finances — their debt is £472.5m — a big offer from either Chelsea or City for Torres will be almost impossible to turn down.

  Torres says talk about his future must wait until Spain’s World Cup campaign is over.

  He said: 'My future is here in South Africa. It is too important to think about what happens after that.

  'I was happy he got the job. He did really well at Fulham and I am sure he can do better for Liverpool. After the World Cup, I'll have time to talk with him. But I have a contract, that's the reality.'

  

  Up for grabs: Torres and Steven Gerrard could both leave Liverpool this summer

  Torres - who had ankle surgery in April - has also defended himself after his difficult start to the Word Cup finals, where Spain have reached the semi-finals.

  He added: 'It is a difficult tournament for me. I didn't arrive in the best moment in terms of fitness, especially after two operations but I'm happy with the things I am doing.

  'Hopefully the manager and the team are happy as well. Everyone has to try to give a bit to the team to get the best.'

• Poignant

  6 Jul 10, 00:13

  Agent denies talk of Torres exit

  try { FB.Event.subscribe('xfbml.render', function() { var fbTags = $('.facebookLike'); for(var i=0; i<fbTags.length; i++){ fbTags[i].blindDown({duration: 1.5}); } }); FB.XFBML.parse(); } catch (e) { // facebook javascript not loaded do nothing }

  

  Fernando Torres' agent has denied making the comments published in the English press on Monday regarding the striker's future at Liverpool.

  Agent Jose Antonio Martin reportdly refused to commit the Spain forward's long-term future to Anfield and indicated he could move to another Premier League club.

  But Martin insists he did not make the remarks and is adamant 26-year-old Torres, who is contracted at Liverpool until 2013, will remain with the Reds.

  "For many months I have not spoken to the England press because their quotes are totally false," said Martin.

  "Now is not the moment to speak about this issue because Torres is focused completely on his work for Spain.

  "After the World Cup (player-agency company) Bahia Internacional will possibly meet with the player but the truth is that Fernando has signed a deal with Liverpool which is for the present and the future."

  It was also rumoured that Torres was set for a make-or-break meeting with Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson in the coming days to discuss his future, but Bahia Internacional sources have dismissed this claim as "simple speculation".

• Medicated Oil

  6 Jul 10, 00:21

  Ah Roy will be face with a hard decision to sell him away and buy a few strikers with the money raised.

  Torres is too injured prone to stay in the BPL and should go back to Li Liga.

  Torres want to win a champion league medal and he will opt to go to barca or inter.

  Ah Roy will have a hard time keeping Stevie and Torres.

• ASKL!

  6 Jul 10, 17:48

  Roman Abramovich Travels To South Africa To Lure Liverpool Striker Fernando Torres To Chelsea - Report

  

  Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has travelled to South Africa to discuss a possible move with Liverpool striker Fernando Torres, according to a report from The Daily Telegraph.
  
  The Blues owner is believed to be ready to offer a massive £50 million for the Spain star, who is also a reported target for Manchester City.
  
  City's chances seem to be reducing now though, with the Spaniard understood to be keen to play Champions League football next season.
  
  Torres' representatives have denied the 27-year-old wants to leave Anfield, but Chelsea and City both believe that, in reality, he is seeking a move.
  
  Barcelona are also said to be interested, but Torres is apparently not keen on a move back to Spain.
  
  Chelsea are set to bid below Liverpool's valuation of the player, which could complicate matters, but Abramovich is understood to be pushing very hard for the deal after his club already landed Yossi Benayoun from the Reds earlier this summer.