Fernando Torres has finally completed his much anticipated move form Liverpool to Chelsea football club, for a reported record-breaking British transfer fee of £50 Million. The transfer was the fourth largest ever in world football, after Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kaka.
Speculation regarding the transfer had grown after Chelsea had an initial offer of £35 million turned down by Liverpool, the following day Torres handed in a written transfer request to the Reds, again this was refused.
On the final day of the January transfer window however, Chelsea improved their offer and they beat the transfer deadline as Torres, twenty six, passed his medical and signed a five and a half year deal with the club.
Liverpool wasted no time in spending the money by signing two strikers to replace their departing star, Luis Suarez was signed from Ajax for £22.7m and surprisingly then spent £35 Million by signing of Andy Carroll from Newcastle.
Torres who joined Liverpool from Atletico Madrid for £20 Million in 2007 made 142 appearances and scored 81 goals for the Reds. The Spaniard was also a World Cup winner with his country in 2010. Although a firm favourite with the Anfield fans, Torres seemed determined to leave and it is believed that the sum of £50 Million met the release clause in his Liverpool contract.
The signing ends the long term speculation surrounding his future, Chelsea are believed to have been interested in signing the player since 2008, a season in which he won the European Championship with Spain, and they had a formal offer turned down in May 2010. Following the World Cup, Torres had pledged his long term future to the Reds. It is believed Liverpool's failure to qualify for the Champions League may have been a decisive factor, and as he hasn't played in the competition this season, he will be eligible to play in the later stages of the competition this season with Chelsea, a trophy that has so far eluded the Londoners'.
This is no doubt that the scoring record of the Spaniard is very impressive, and he became an instant hero at Anfield. Recent injury problems have limited his performances during the 2009-10 season, but he still managed to score twenty two goals for the Reds. Ironically the first game Torres will be available to play for Chelsea will be against Liverpool.
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