Torres: This was no rush job
The Blues’ record-breaking swoop for Torres looked to have been a classic smash-and-grab affair, with the £50million deal sealed shortly before Monday’s 11pm deadline and only four days after the Reds confirmed they had rejected a £35m bid for the striker.
But Torres revealed during his unveiling as a Chelsea player at a jam-packed press conference yesterday that he learnt Chelsea had approached Liverpool “10 days or 12 days” before the window shut, demonstrating the Barclays Premier League champions had spent some time attempting to prise him away from Merseyside.
Torres also confirmed that was the point when he told the Reds hierarchy he wanted to leave, which was at least a week before he submitted a written transfer request.
“As soon as I knew that Liverpool and Chelsea were talking about that, I told them then that the decision was made and I would like them to talk seriously about the possibility,” he said.
“I was the first one to go straight to the manager and all the people to tell them I wanted to leave.”
Torres revealed upon signing for Chelsea that it was last summer when he began to feel he needed to move on, when his new club reportedly had another bid for him rejected.
That fuelled speculation the Spaniard had not been fully committed this season but he said: “I never lost my ambition. Too many people are talking about that, but it’s just their opinions.
“I was playing out of form for months. I was not just playing there for six months, but for three-and-a-half years, and I always tried to help the club move forward.”
Torres also spoke on Tuesday about the Blues being on a different level to Liverpool, London offering a better lifestyle than Merseyside and his desire to score against his former club, comments which irked some already-angry Anfield supporters.
A few had been filmed burning replica Torres shirts when his departure began to look inevitable and he attempted to placate the disenchanted yesterday when he said: “I only have good things to say about the Liverpool people and the supporters especially.
“I had a great three-and-a-half years there. They made me feel really good there. I will never say anything bad about that club, that city.”
The 26-year-old, who joined Liverpool from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2007, added: “I was an Atletico Madrid fan and when some of the top players left the club, I didn’t understand.
“But, in time, I understood they did the best for themselves and their families and their careers.
“I’m sure, with time, they (Liverpool fans) will see what I did there and will think it was fair.”
Torres also said he would not do anything to further provoke Liverpool fans if he managed to find the net against them tomorrow. “I have big respect for Liverpool fans.”
But he admitted the thought of going one step further and asking to sit out the game had not crossed his mind, adding: “Why would I?”
Thoughts of a debut goal for the Spaniard may have to wait, however, after his new manager Carlo Ancelotti insisted he is ready to leave the most expensive player ever bought by a British club on the bench tomorrow.
“Fernando is fit, okay, and has trained well,” the Blues boss said. “He’s available to play against Liverpool.
“I don’t know if he will start or if he will come on during the game. It’s my decision. I want to take that decision. I will take it before 4pm on Sunday.”
The same applies to the second most expensive defender in history, although David Luiz has hardly trained after being forced to return to Portugal to tie up the loose ends of his £25m transfer from Benfica.
Ancelotti said: “David Luiz is not here – he will come back (today), maybe – so I have time.”
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