Chelsea will offer up to £50million in an audacious bid to sign
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres. Stamford Bridge owner Roman
Abramovich is ready to smash the world transfer record to land the
24-year-old Spaniard.
Abramovich was prepared to pay that much for Thierry Henry when
he first took over at Chelsea and he has given chief executive
Peter Kenyon permission to offer the same amount for a brilliant
marksman who scored 33 goals in his debut season at Anfield.
Avram Grant was sacked as Chelsea's manager on Saturday and the
search now begins for his successor, with Guus Hiddink and Frank
Rijkaard among the favourites to take over. But it is understood
the club will continue to pursue those players Grant identified
prior to his dismissal - and Torres was top of his wish list, with
the Barclays Premier League and Champions League runners-up happy
to take advantage of the chaos at Liverpool.
Chelsea believe they have a chance of pulling off one of the
most extraordinary transfer coups in football history which could
beat the world record fee of £46m Real Madrid paid Juventus for
France midfielder Zinedine Zidane in 2001.
"There is a desire among certain people at Liverpool to sell at
the right price," said an insider last night. "It's just a case of
whether they have the nerve to incur the wrath of the Liverpool
fans."
Disruption reigns at Anfield, with the ownership of the club as
well as the future of manager Rafa Benitez and chief executive Rick
Parry uncertain.
Tom Hicks says he is desperate to raise funds to take sole
control and the sale of Torres only a year after he arrived from
Atletico Madrid for £23m could be good business.
Benitez: will raise strong objections if owner Tom
Hicks decides to cash in on Torres
Benitez will not think so and agreeing to sell could add
more tension. The Liverpool manager claims a lack of resources
means his side will again be fighting against the tide for the
title next term.
He said: "It's more difficult because after two years of Chelsea
winning the league and spending big money, United needed to do the
same. They started spending big money, and Arsenal were also
spending big money on young players.
"We're trying to do the same but it's more difficult to catch
up. We'll do our best. The key is to not talk about the title."
But his objections regarding the sale of Torres may not hold
sway and it would represent good business for Chelsea as well as
Hicks because striker Didier Drogba is up for sale.
As well as Jose Bosingwa - who has agreed to join Chelsea for
£16m - Grant identified AC Milan's Kaka and Real Madrid's Robinho.
Like Torres, Kaka is an ambitious target and someone Milan have
said they are not prepared to sell. But Chelsea will attempt to
lure the World Player of the Year by offering Drogba, Ricardo
Carvalho and possibly even money in return.
Chelsea do not envisage the next manager objecting but they want
to make an appointment quickly. Rijkaard has long been considered
the favourite and the football he produced at Barcelona to win the
Champions League in 2006 impressed Abramovich. But there are
concerns about the strength of his leadership and Chelsea could
turn to someone like the experienced Hiddink.
The return of Jose Mourinho has been dismissed but among other
possible targets are Luiz Felipe Scolari, Marcello Lippi, Mark
Hughes and Sven Goran Eriksson.
