Liverpool football club set to clinch Torres deal
Thursday, 5 July 2007
LONDON, Jul 4 (AFP): Liverpool were expected to seal a 26.5 million pounds (40 million euros) deal on Wednesday to sign Spanish striker Fernando Torres.
That will bring Rafael Benitez' spending spree in the three years he has been at Anfield to a whopping 121 million pounds (180 million euros).
Benitez passed the three-year mark in Merseyside last month and the arrival of Torres will leave him with no excuses for lack of success in the new season.
The Spanish coach has been quick to criticise the supposed lack of funds at Anfield to allow him to compete with the financial muscle of Chelsea, but his three year spending spree is the biggest in the club's history.
Torres is the big name that Benitez believes will fire Liverpool into a title-challenging position challenging the might of Chlesea and arch rivals Manchester United.
And the 23-year-old, who passed a medical late Tuesday, will be the man under pressure to produce the 20 goals a season tally crucial to a title-chasing side.
He will certainly be expected to do better than Benitez's previous striking purchases. Fernando Morientes, Craig Bellamy, Dirk Kuyt, and Peter Crouch have all failed to provide the dynamic goals-per-game ratio Benitez craves.
But with Torres on board, the manager now knows excuses will not be tolerated next term if a title challenge fails to materialise.
Following Tuesday's successful medical, the Atletico Madrid youth product flew back to Madrid for a farewell media conference early Wednesday.
That will bring Rafael Benitez' spending spree in the three years he has been at Anfield to a whopping 121 million pounds (180 million euros).
Benitez passed the three-year mark in Merseyside last month and the arrival of Torres will leave him with no excuses for lack of success in the new season.
The Spanish coach has been quick to criticise the supposed lack of funds at Anfield to allow him to compete with the financial muscle of Chelsea, but his three year spending spree is the biggest in the club's history.
Torres is the big name that Benitez believes will fire Liverpool into a title-challenging position challenging the might of Chlesea and arch rivals Manchester United.
And the 23-year-old, who passed a medical late Tuesday, will be the man under pressure to produce the 20 goals a season tally crucial to a title-chasing side.
He will certainly be expected to do better than Benitez's previous striking purchases. Fernando Morientes, Craig Bellamy, Dirk Kuyt, and Peter Crouch have all failed to provide the dynamic goals-per-game ratio Benitez craves.
But with Torres on board, the manager now knows excuses will not be tolerated next term if a title challenge fails to materialise.
Following Tuesday's successful medical, the Atletico Madrid youth product flew back to Madrid for a farewell media conference early Wednesday.