On Tuesday, Chelsea put in an official bid of £40 million for Fernando Torres with ESPN reporting £55 million. The day Liverpool were eliminated from the Champions League last season, it was inevitable that one of the big boys would try to steal him away. When Chelsea came calling for Steven Gerrard in 2004, Rafa Benitez was able to sway him to stay. I’m not so sure that Fernando will do the same without guaranteed Champions League soccer and an unstable owner situation.
If Roman Abramovich is willing to offer that kind of absurd money for Fernando, I would take it in an instant. As much as I love him on the team, Torres has only started 52% of Liverpool’s leagues games over the last 2 years, while making substitute appearances in 6 others. Fernando has said himself that he fears for his health if he continues to play in England. His body is breaking down right before our eyes. This team has too many needs to not take advantage of this potential cash flow and he is too risky to keep with his value so high.
If Hodgson accepts a Torres bid, the owners need to allow him to reinvest into the squad. With that kind of money, Liverpool would become instant players again in the transfer market. These are the players I would trust to replace El Nino.
Edin Dzeko- The 24 year old Bosnian international has been scoring heaps of goals in the Bundesliga for Wolfsburg (48 in 62 games with 58 goals in all 71 competitive games over the last 2 years). Dzeko has been compared to a young Zlatan Ibrahimovic as a he can play as both a target or link up man while possessing size, strength and very good ball skills. He has been linked to Manchester City and Juventus for £35 million.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar- Scored at a phenomenal rate for Ajax before two unsuccessful moves to Real Madrid and AC Milan. Huntelaar is a regular call up to the Dutch national team though just like his club career, he is not a regular starter. If he could find some regular playing time, he could reach his potential.
Andre-Pierre Gignac- The Toulouse front man was sensational 2 seasons ago scoring 24 goals in 37 league games in a French league that is known for being a low scoring league. Though he had a dip in form last year, he still has the skills to be a solid target forward in England. He has a decent touch, but is known for his power and holdup play. Surround him with the higher quality players that Liverpool have, he could turn into a force.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic- With Barcelona’s signing of David Villa, he is guaranteed to get even less playing time than he received last year. He is a proven goal scorer for every team he has played for and would be an excellent addition to the Reds. He has been linked to the Premier League via Manchester City, but with the Torres cash, Liverpool could become a suitor. Ibrahimovic is not just a target man. He provides creativity from the center forward position with his great movement and passing vision. He would link up nicely with Steven Gerrard and the other attacking players that Roy Hodgson implements into the side. He is highly unlikely, but is interesting to mention.
Other players I like include Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Vedad Ibisevic (Hoffenheim) and Lucas Barrios (Dortmund). I’d be interested to hear who you would want to sign if Torres were to be sold.
With the other £20-30 million added to his original transfer kitty after buying a replacement, Roy Hodgson would potentially be able to fill in some of the teams other holes.
- Left back to replace Fabio Aurelio
- Midfielder if Mascherano is sold
- Striker depth
- Creative winger or playmaker
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