Fernando Torres wanted by Manchester City's sheikhs

zocoss SG

Fernando Torres

Prize asset: Liverpool striker Fernando Torres

Liverpool

Vulnerable: Liverpool, debt-ridden and eliminated at the group stage of the Champions League, face local rivals Everton today

The billionaire owners of Manchester City are to rock ailing Liverpool by launching an audacious £50million bid for star striker Fernando Torres.

City aim to use their financial muscle to force Liverpool to sell their prize asset and believe that if the troubled Merseyside club fail to qualify for next season's Champions League, they will find it hard to refuse a big offer.

But City also know they would have to be able to offer Champions League football to have any chance of signing Torres and Mark Hughes' team will regard yesterday's 1-1 draw with Hull at Eastlands as an opportunity lost as they bid to deny Liverpool a top-four finish.

A source said: 'Make no mistake about it, this club is ambitious. They believe there is not a player in the world who is outside their budget and that includes Torres.

'The owners are in it for the long haul. Initially, their number one target is the Champions League next season. But they see that only as the launching pad for greater things. They are now probably the wealthiest club on the globe - now they want to be the best.'

Liverpool, debt-ridden and eliminated at the group stage of the Champions League for the first time in manager Rafael Benitez's fiveyear reign, have never been so vulnerable to rich predators like City and the Anfield crisis would deepen today if they lose at Everton.

Benitez announced earlier this month he would resign if Torres was sold, but failure to finish in the top four would cost the club $30m and put them under pressure to balance the books.

Liverpool managing director, Christian Purslow, insisted after midweek confirmation of their Champions League exit that Benitez's job was safe and that a good run in the Europa League would all but make up for lost income.

But missing out on the Champions League altogether would cause real problems and with Torres unlikely to be happy if not playing in Europe's premier club competition, the door is open to the type of deal talked about when the oil-rich Abu Dhabi billionaires first took over at Eastlands in August 2008.

Poignant SG

no surprise, fernando is a world class striker and clubs will be q-ing up for his signature.

zocoss SG

Personally, I think he is too injury prone... £50million is like quite a risk. And he doesn't seem to have a physically fit body too...

Medicated Oil SG

He can score goals when he is fit.

Considering the financial situation and league position, torres would be tempted to go over to Man City.

I think it is a good bargain.

charlize SG

For all you know, maybe Rafa, Gerrard and Torres will go together to Man City sometime in the future.

charlize SG

Rafa wanted Barry last time right?

Going to Man City will achieve that goal.

charlize SG

Hughes' time at Man City looks like it might end soon.

How the hell he managed to draw so many games against the weaker teams with the amount of talent he has?

Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1) SG

Man City should has sacked Hughes

Medicated Oil SG

Ah Ben is a virus and any BPL club would be killed by his defensive tactics.

He just talk rot when he say he will leave when torres is sold.

He is under contract and if he resigned, he have to PAY.

Will he do that ? NO !

fudgester SG

Ah Ben is a virus and any BPL club would be killed by his defensive tactics.

He just talk rot when he say he will leave when torres is sold.

He is under contract and if he resigned, he have to PAY.

Will he do that ? NO !

Well, defensive tactics are precisely what Man City needs.

There's no other explanation for how they can let in as many goals as they scored in the previous seven games.

zocoss SG

There are much better options than Rafa in the market... So why would City want to get a manager who is supposed to be at the top but now in a lower position than City for?

Rafa this type of managers are a dime a dozen in the open market...

fudgester SG

In the first place, would Torres even want to more to Man City?

Sure, he wouldn't want to play in the Europa League with Liverpool, but can Man City even give him Champions League football to begin with?

zocoss SG

Well... It has been proven with Tevez, Barry, Adebayor, Toure, Robinho, SWP and Bridge that you don't need CL football for a short time if the perk are attractive enough... lol

Rooney9 SG

maybe united can try to bid for torres even if he dun want to come to united. no harm trying though.

iceFatboy SG

maybe united can try to bid for torres even if he dun want to come to united. no harm trying though.

no offense, but i don't think he got the "balls" to go to the biggest rival.

sg_forum SG

He has the same problem as Rafa last and the season before, too many draws...why would the Arabs want to replace a donkey with another donkey? doesn't make sense...

sg_forum SG

no offense, but i don't think he got the "balls" to go to the biggest rival.

ManU and Chelsea tried to sign him before but he mentioned that if he ever leave Atletico, he will join Liverpool. Don't know true or not lah but so far it's proven to be true.

KnowMyPower SG

I think arab know that rafa will be sacked soon so rushing now to get torres. Because if rafa goes and a really good attacking manager comes in, then torres will not leave. you can tell the senior attacking players are not happy wth the fat spanish waiter as his method are small time short term tricks. After 5 years he is still not sure what is the way of football ought to play.

He abuses torres pace by putting him upfront alone and end up making him do all the dribbling and scoring alone. look at most of his goals. it great to watch but in the long run he will suffer due to too much strain. Its suppose to be a team game. not torres and gerrard only bring the ball forward from midfield most of the time while the rest just pass sideways.

we better sack rafa before torres is forced to go.

youyayu SG

we better sack rafa before torres is forced to go.

you have to understand.

Rafa ia a God Gift to Liverpool.

why havent you notice that??

maybe its not written in the Judasim Text?

zocoss SG

Torres is built more like a Van Persie rather than the Drogba or Rooney kind... He and Van Persie is probably more injury prone than the Drog... He had a good first season, Then look at last season... Last year he was already so injury prone, so not surprising that he is in and out of the treatment room more often for this... The question is, will he be another Robben or another Saha in the making?

I personally think he will...