Tuesday July 3, 2007
Fernando Torres cut short his summer holiday in Polynesia to return to Madrid last night and finalise a deal taking him to Liverpool. He had been surprised by the speed with which negotiations had been conducted in his absence and returned early to conclude his £27m move from Atlético Madrid to the Premiership.
Sources in Liverpool yesterday suggested that the 23-year-old has verbally agreed a four-year deal and the move could be made official today, subject to a medical. Atlético Madrid had already agreed a deal with Liverpool, in which Torres was valued at fractionally short of his €40m (£27m) buy-out clause. The two clubs also agreed a deal for Luis García to return to the Vicente Calderón, where he played during the 2002-03 season.
Torres cuts holiday short to speed move to LiverpoolSid Lowe in Madrid Tuesday July 3, 2007 The Guardian Fernando Torres cut short his summer holiday in Polynesia to return to Madrid last night and finalise a deal taking him to Liverpool. He had been surprised by the speed with which negotiations had been conducted in his absence and returned early to conclude his £27m move from Atlético Madrid to the Premiership. Sources in Liverpool yesterday suggested that the 23-year-old has verbally agreed a four-year deal and the move could be made official today, subject to a medical. Atlético Madrid had already agreed a deal with Liverpool, in which Torres was valued at fractionally short of his €40m (£27m) buy-out clause. The two clubs also agreed a deal for Luis García to return to the Vicente Calderón, where he played during the 2002-03 season. Although the two deals were not interdependent, with both clubs looking to prevent Torres's move falling through because of any difficulties in completing the deal for Luis García, who is valued at £4m, they will now form part of the same operation. Luis García's agent, Manuel García Quilón, yesterday admitted he expects his client to join Atlético "today or tomorrow". That move had not yet been made official last night and Atlético and Liverpool are keen to announce both moves simultaneously today. Torres will then bid an official farewell to Atlético, for whom he has played since the age of 16. Torres is expected to earn around £90,000 a week at Anfield, putting him in the same wage bracket as Xabi Alonso and Jamie Carragher but leaving him some way short of the club captain, Steven Gerrard, who earns a reported £120,000 a week. Torres will be the 10th Spaniard signed by Rafael Benítez since 2004 and the club's record signing. The CSKA Sofia midfielder Mihail Alexandrov, 18, yesterday told a Bulgarian radio station that he has passed a medical at Liverpool and that he will join the club as soon as his season finishes. Chelsea's German midfielder Michael Ballack could be considered for the club's US tour despite preparing to have surgery on his ankle today. Ballack injured his ankle and underwent an operation in May but complications with the healing of the wound have forced him back into hospital. A spokesman for Chelsea confirmed: "Michael Ballack will have an operation in Germany on his ankle." The London club are due to play the Suwon Bluewings and David Beckham's new side, LA Galaxy. Andrew Johnson has returned to full training with Everton, six weeks after his ankle surgery, and his manager, David Moyes, believes the striker can improve on his first season with the club."His goals were so important and they came at important times, at the start of the season and on the run-in as well," Moyes said. *Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog |
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