Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea)

It is understood that the Premier League champions want to offer striker Daniel Sturridge as part of an increased bid (for Torres). A formal offer of £28 million was rejected two days ago and Chelsea have already intimated they will raise that to more than £30 million with Sturridge as a makeweight to take it closer to Liverpool’s expected valuation of £50 million for Torres.

However, Liverpool are highly unlikely to agree to a move and will hope to persuade Torres to stay at least until the summer. The request is the latest in a remarkable season of possible departures by high-profile players, with Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tévez making similar moves.


There was no response from Liverpool on Friday night but the club are expected to release a statement on Saturday.

Liverpool will be angry at the speed of developments and believe that Torres has been unsettled. Chelsea insist they do not want to wait until the end of the season — when Liverpool may be more willing to sell as they will have more time to rebuild.

Talks are believed to have taken place with his representatives earlier this week which led to Chelsea lodging a formal offer, which was promptly rejected. The issue is a first real test for Dalglish since his return to management. He has told Torres and the club’s American owners, Fenway Sports Group, as well as Chelsea’s negotiators, that the player is not for sale.

Liverpool have backed this stance in a statement but there is a sense, from Chelsea, that the £23m signing of Luis Suarez may open the way for the sale to happen if they also offer Sturridge. Liverpool made inquiries about the 21-year-old striker earlier this season and it’s understood that Sturridge wants to leave Chelsea having grown frustrated at his limited opportunities.

Liverpool have completely dismissed this scenario, insisting that they want Suarez to play alongside Torres rather than replace him and given the team’s improvement under Dalglish it is unthinkable that the manager will be undermined now.

Chelsea are certainly acting under some encouragement that their bids will be successful and are not considering any other transfer targets for this window beyond Torres and the ongoing saga of David Luiz’s move from Benfica which also needs to be resolved.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/8289561/Liverpool-striker-Fernando-Torres-hands-in-transfer-request-as-Chelsea-prepare-new-bid.html

A lot of chatter about this one.

Personally, if we are to take players from them, I think we should set our sights a bit higher.

I don't want any Chelsea player to come here.Just get us the money and F**k off!

Also:

Chelsea will return with an improved £40m offer for Fernando Torres with the Premier League champions hopeful of closing the deal before Monday's deadline after the striker last night confirmed his desire to quit Liverpool by submitting a transfer request.

Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, is prepared to add the young striker Daniel Sturridge as a makeweight in the new bid, which will follow the £35m that was rejected by Liverpool yesterday. Chelsea intend to push hard for what would be a stunning coup and have been encouraged both by Torres's actions – although Liverpool have rejected his transfer request – and by his employers agreeing a £22.8m deal with Ajax for Luis Suárez this afternoon.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jan/28/luis-suarez-liverpool-fernando-torres-chelsea

You wanna take Torres from us? 60m + Drogna minumum you sack of shits.

Sturridge as a makeweight, I wouldn't even consider that. He is nowhere close to the quality we KK will be looking to get in.

Chelski can suck my balls

F**k him not good enough for the club, Chelsea just trying to off load them on us, he has being F***ing sh*te for them.

NOOO WAYYYY!!

Be serious, Roman!

Wouldn't take any of there F***ing players, think I hate them more than Utd now. F***ing scum when are they changing there name to Abramovoich FC. A F***ing ridiculous club with no history and no fans. Good choice Fernando.

If we were going down the road of player swaps. . . Deal with Man City and take Johnson. We sell on our terms

Wouldn't take any of there F***ing players, think I hate them more than Utd now. F***ing scum when are they changing there name to Abramovoich FC. A F***ing ridiculous club with no history and no fans. Good choice Fernando.

You really wear your heart on your sleeve corbally, fair play to you.

Was thinking £40m plus Essien but then thought would I F**k want a Chelsea player here.

As for Sturridge, has decent potential but no thanks.

I'd rather have an extra £5 million on the end of the fee than Daniel Sturridge. Don't need anymore young-ish strikers keeping our Dani out of the picture.

Only Essien I would want from them.

I don't want any chelsea player. There best players are over 30 and on very expensive long term contracts. Essien is the only 1 I would think twice about.

Wouldn't take any of there f**king players, think I hate them more than Utd now. F***ing scum when are they changing there name to Abramovoich FC. A f**king ridiculous club with no history and no fans. Good choice Fernando.

Fully agree mate. Hate clubs that try to buy success, they really are scum.

Joe Cole was a Chelsea player, you lot were happy then. And he was not even a 1st team player.

I'd have Fat Frank, we could do with some luck in front of goal.

That is red because he choose us over them, I don't want one of there players fu**ed into a deal as a make weight. Cole turned down Chelsea contract offer because he wanted to play for a real club.

Give us Essien or Malouda in return.

Daniel Sturridge?? What the F**k? The only reason he would be worth more than Ngog is because he's English! To be honest I'd rather Ngog! Its an insult to think that would be any kind of makeweight in the torres deal!!

I would take 30 million and Malouda. That way we would have a solution on the left and can buy a very good striker to partner Suarez.

Don't want any Chelsea players. They have no class and think their money make their club on par with Europe's elite.

I don't want any chelsea player. There best players are over 30 and on very expensive long term contracts. Essien is the only 1 I would think twice about.

Malouda? we havent had a decent winger in ages