Inter stick Chelsea’s Torres at the top of their shopping list
Published:With Jose Mourinho publicly courting AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli for a summer move, it looks like Chelsea’s record signing, Fernando Torres, could be the man to make way for his arrival.
Thanks to the skulduggery of one French journalist it is well known that Mourinho does not rate his current crop of strikers, as the Portuguese looks to revamp his squad in the summer.
Therefore, with only four Premier League goals to his name this season, 29-year-old Torres looks surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge, despite costing a British transfer record £50m three years ago.
Having been taken over by Indonesian businessman Erick Thohir, it’s also no secret that Inter Milan are embarking on a major recruitment drive and reports suggest the Serie A outfit would be willing to part with £20m Chelsea want for Torres’s services.
In light of Chelsea’s intentions to bring in a big-money signing themselves this summer, UEFA’s Financial Fair Play restrictions make it necessary for the Blues to sell first and the sale of Torres would suit that ploy perfectly.
Inter have already secured the signature of Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic and it seems they will be raiding more of the Premier League’s stocks in due course.
The news of Inter’s Torres interest comes ahead of a pivotal London derby against Champions League-chasing Tottenham, which will have serious ramifications at the top of the Premier League.
Torres is a 9/2 shot to score the first goal of the game, but given his patchy form in front of goal there is no guarantee the Spaniard will start, so the Blues leading scorer Eden Hazard may prove a better option at 6/1.
The Spanish international still has two years left on the £150,000 per week contract he signed when joining from Liverpool three years ago, but has failed to make anything like the impact Chelsea were hoping for.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
Fancy a flutter? Sign up today to claim up to £50 in free bets.
