Liverpool FC Forum

by **matrix** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 6:38 am

TORRID TORRES
It's see ya to Garcia and.. Fans riot over Kop move for Fernando
By David Maddock And Martin Lipton 28/06/2007

ATLETICO Madrid fans have hit the streets in their outrage at the sale of their hero Fernando Torres to Liverpool.

The Spanish fans staged a massive protest against the Atletico board, with hundreds of supporters marching in the capital to demonstrate against the loss of their star player.

The demonstration came as Atletico's chief transfer negotiator, Miguel Angel Gil Martin, admitted a deal was imminent when he said: "Nobody is indispensable, including Torres.

Advertisement"Our objective has to be to build a team that is competitive and no single player, no matter how good he is, can make a team meet those objectives on his own.

"At Atletico, we are trying to create a team that does not revolve solely around Fernando Torres, but around the team as a whole.

"Of course I would want Fernando to stay - but the future will be decided by Fernando himself.

"We've spoken to him and told him we would prefer him to stay on but it is only normal that he has doubts about doing that.

"It is only natural that when there are offers for him, from big clubs, he will think about them and question what he wants to do next in his career.

"The reality is that money changes everything in football and I can't expect Fernando to change his mind now and say he wants to stay with us. My obligation is to work in the best interests of the club and to look for an alternative to replace Fernando if he does decide he wants to go."

But Torres is a cult figure within the club, with many of the Atletico fans complaining that he is their only top class performer, and his loss would signal a massive collapse for the second club in Madrid.

Their fans demonstrated in the middle of the Spanish capital, carrying banners lamenting the sale of their star striker to Liverpool, and castigating the Atletico board for their spineless acceptance of the deal.

They chanted Torres' name and pleaded with the club to do everything in their power to keep the forward.

But it seems their protests, no matter how fervent, will be in vain, because the deal is now almost done, with Liverpool agreeing a player-plus cash deal to bring the Spain international striker to England.

Liverpool have proposed a deal where their outcast striker Djibril Cisse will be used in part exchange, along with around £18million cash.

Atletico, for their part, want Luis Garcia (above) as part of the deal, and it seems they will get their way after the Spanish winger admitted yesterday that he wants to return to his homeland.

Speaking on Spanish television, Garcia - who has been injured for the last six months - said: "Liverpool are in my thoughts at the moment, but one day I would like to come back, and not to Barcelona, but to Atletico Madrid, who are always in my thoughts."

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looks like bloody chaos in madrid, looks like this deal has cost us garcia...

i wont relax until torres signs, i remenber how i felt when the simao sabrosa deal fell through...

by **Redrulz(lfc)** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:42 am

I know only one think that we should sign him because he is already a superstar and we few superstars

by **heimdall** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 10:49 pm

Redrulz(lfc) wrote:I know only one think that we should sign him because he is already a superstar and we few superstars

so hang on if we are at 18 million plus Cisse it will probably go down to about 10 million when we throw in Garcia as well, nice piece of business if you ask me, well done Rafa and Parry if this goes through. Can't wait.

That would mean that we would still have about 40 milion plus whatever we can earn from selling Bellamy and the other outcasts. Come on Tevez you know it makes sense mate, come to Liverpool plus Mancini and Simao. Then we can really start talking about the league :buttrock

by **LFC2007** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 1:40 am

I've a feeling Torres will be a success if he joins us. For the figures quoted it's a big risk, but I just feel his mobility, touch, pace and desire above all will make him a success. If we must pay £20m and Rafa and his gang feel he's worth it then I trust him in his opinion. Sabre is more sceptical than most on this one, and I don't rate him as a top class finisher or as a player with the movement of an Owen. But if we signed him I reckon Rafa would know EXACTLY how to get the best from him. I don't think he takes spending circa £20m on one player lightly, he'll have done his homework.

by **account deleted by request** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 2:12 am

It appears the deal for Torres has now been done, £20million + Garcia, subject to agreeing personal terms with Torres. I will be sad to see Garcia go, but from what I read he was homesick and wanted to go.

Liverpool get Torres as Garcia moves on
SOCCER: Liverpool and Atletico Madrid have agreed a deal to take Fernando Torres to Anfield. Liverpool will pay fractionally less than the £27 million buy-out clause Torres has at the Vicente Calderon, leaving the 23-year-old striker to finalise personal terms before the move goes ahead.

Irish Times

And again in the Independent

Liverpool will pay record-breaking £27m for Torres
By Andy Hunter
Published: 29 June 2007
Liverpool are close to delivering the emphatic statement of intent demanded by manager Rafael Benitez having agreed a club record £27m deal with Atletico Madrid for their venerated striker Fernando Torres.

The transfer, expected to comprise around £20m in cash plus Luis Garcia, has been accepted in principle by Atletico and is now dependent on the Spanish international declaring an intent to leave his boyhood club when he returns from holiday on 10 July.

Liverpool officials have been in negotiations all week after being rebuffed in their preliminary enquiries for the 23-year-old who has risen through the ranks to captain Atletico, scoring 82 goals in 212 appearances for them, and has been a target for several leading clubs including Chelsea and Manchester United.

Under pressure to make their first major signing of the summer, not least from Benitez, the Anfield hierarchy have accepted that Atletico will not sell Torres for less than the €40m release clause in his contract. And, while that has been agreed with Atletico president Enrique Cerezo, the club want Torres to publicly announce his desire to leave before confirming a departure that will enrage their supporters.

For Liverpool owners George Gillet and Tom Hicks the capture will represent a coup in the face of unease at the lack of big name talent at Anfield.

In the wake of the European Cup final defeat in Athens Benitez delivered a damning indictment of Liverpool's recent transfer dealings and claimed: "We talk and talk but we never finish. I am worried about talking to players, for one or two months or even six months, and then losing them. I want things done."

Benitez had hoped to use the club's current record signing, £14m Djibril Cissé, as a makeweight in the deal rather than Garcia, who he brought to Liverpool from Barcelona for £6m in 2004 and wants to keep. However, Cissé made it clear in talks with Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry that he would not join Atletico while Garcia, who played for them in 2002-03, has warmed to the idea of a return to Spain.

Liverpool had hoped to use the Cissé fee for other transfer targets and with around £20m committed on the Torres deal, albeit in instalments, they will have to raise funds through the sale of players such as Craig Bellamy to secure Benitez's remaining objectives for the summer.

Two wingers and a defender will remain on the manager's list once, as expected, the Atletico forward announces his time at the club is over. Madrid have lined up Villarreal's Diego Forlan as a replacement.

Benitez's demand for Liverpool to invest in more potential talent has also been addressed this week, with the club signing 18-year-old defender Mikel San Jose for £270,000 from Athletic Bilbao and 19-year-old Bulgarian goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov on a three-year contract from Levski Sofia.

Midfielder Mohamed Sissoko has signed a new four-year deal at Anfield.

by **metalhead** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 2:13 pm

Hopefully we will hear something on monday then, it will end the torres saga and look for other positions to strengthen

by **Soul** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 7:02 pm

The signing of Fernando Torres is a great summer blessing. He will contribute massively with speed, strength and technical ability up front for the next many years scoring an ocean of goals for us.

I'm in ecstacy over this transfer.

by **red37** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 7:24 pm

Done and dusted now this.

by **Dundalk** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 10:15 pm

Sign Torres??

Okay

Job Done

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