Fernando Torres and Pepe Reina are ready to quit
Liverpool in January thanks to secret escape clauses in their
contracts.
The Spain internationals made the get-out agreements with their
Anfield bosses in the summer when they were persuaded to stay
despite the departure of Spanish boss Rafa Benitez.
Now Torres and Reina, key to Roy Hodgson’s attempts to steer the
club away from the relegation zone, want out after promises of
major team investment went unfulfilled.
Mirror Sport understands the pair will tell the club in December
they wish to leave, with Manchester City keen on £50 million Torres
and Manchester United and Arsenal pursuing £20m Reina.
The double whammy will devastate Liverpool fans who hoped John W
Henry’s purchase of the club would bring the glory days back to
Anfield.
Instead, the American has made it clear there will be no major
spending in January, and with many players unhappy with the
direction the club is taking under Hodgson, Torres and Reina are
ready to make a move.
Torres was talked into staying in the summer when a three man
delegation flew to Madrid for secret talks with with the striker’s
representatives on July 14 - three days after the World Cup
Final.
It is understood Torres lawyer Margarita Pilar Garay-Bret and
Jose Antonio Martin were present at the meeting.
One member of the delegation remained in Madrid to speak
directly with Torres before returning to Liverpool confident the
Spaniard would stay.
Torres and Spanish teammate Reina - a powerful voice in the
dressing room - were both poised to quit Liverpool at the time with
Chelsea having tabled a £50 million bid for Torres while Arsenal
had offered £20 million for Reina.
Both were upset at the lack of investment, the club’s failure to
secure Champions League status and the grim reality of their
Premiership title hopes.
Torres was eventually persuaded to remain at Liverpool after
three days of talks - during which the delegation described in
detail plans laid out specifically by Christian Purslow, the club’s
chief executive who quit last week following the sale of the
club.
Torres was told the new owners - that were not identified to him
- were in place and ‘days’ away from completing the Liverpool
takeover.
It is claimed he was told Roy Hodgson’s appointment was a
temporary measure and a big name manager was already lined up -
armed with a £100 million transfer kitty offered as a ‘quick fix’
to drag the club back on terms with Manchester United, Chelsea and
Manchester City.
It is understood Liverpool planned to spend £50 million in the
summer with a further £50 million available in January for targets
no longer chasing Champions League ambitions.
Torres and Reina reluctantly agreed to stay at Anfield - but
only on condition they each had an escape clause written into their
contracts.
Mirror Sport can reveal the pair are now furious at the
subsequent takeover - not directly with new American owner John W
Henry or New England Sports Venture - but with the management team
they feel misled them over the club’s future.
Hodgson has been told there will be no marquee signings in the
January transfer window leaving Torres and Reina feeling they have
wasted a season.
Insiders at Anfield fear that without Champions League
qualification the club will struggle to make a profit - but
crucially then have nothing to offer potential big name
signings.
Mirror Sport revealed on Tuesday that Reina has been targeted by
Sir Alex Ferguson for a sensational switch to Manchester United -
and that now could happen in January.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will resume his quest to sign the
keeper and the immediate lure of Champions League football will
prove a massive draw for the World Cup winner.
Torres will have his pick of clubs - even though the ‘big’ clubs
very rarely make marquee signings in January because most major
players are cup tied - thanks to Liverpool’s failure to qualify for
this season’s Champions League.
Representatives of Torres and Reina did not respond to attempts
to contact them yesterday.
