Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has reiterated his desire to remain at Anfield as he wants to win silverware with the club.
It has been suggested that manager Rafael Benitez would be prepared to sacrifice his leading goalscorer as he attempts to juggle his summer departures and arrivals.
However Liverpool have insisted the Spanish striker is not for sale, and the player himself has declared that he is not in the transfer market.
Instead Torres, on the mark as Spain booked their place in the last eight at Euro 2008 with a 2-1 win over Sweden, declared: “I came to the club to win trophies.”
Benitez is still haggling with Aston Villa over a price for unsettled captain Gareth Barry and, contrary to reports in Italy, Juventus are still to make a formal offer for Xabi Alonso, which has fuelled speculation in the London-based media that the Liverpool manager could be tempted to sacrifice Torres, should Chelsea come in with a world record bid, in order to push ahead with his rebuilding plans at Anfield.
However, Liverpool have always maintained that they have no desire to cash-in on a player who netted 24 goals in his debut season in the Premier League, eclipsing Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record, just 12 months after his arrival at Anfield for a club record £20million fee.
As well as the strong Spanish connection at Anfield, a desire to win silverware played a large part in Torres’s decision to join English football’s most successful club last summer, after failing to lift a major honour during his six seasons in the Atletico Madrid first team. It is the pursuit of trophies with Liverpool that is spurring the 24-year-old on.
He said: “I want to say very clearly that I’m not on the market and that it’s my desire to continue at Liverpool.
“I’m very happy there and I want to carry on. I came to the club to win trophies. I have many years left on my contract and I expect to win some silverware there.”
Performing on a big European stage is also important for Torres.
Torres never managed to qualify for the Champions League while with Atletico but is determined to go one better with Liverpool next season after playing in the Anfield club’s third Champions League semi-final in four seasons this year – ironically all of which have been against reported suitors Chelsea.
Atletico, who are set to come to Anfield for a pre-season friendly on Friday, August 8, have qualified for the Champions League in their first year without Torres but the Spaniard has no regrets about his move because of the big European nights with Benitez’s side.
He said: “I have gone through things I have never experienced before, like playing in a Champions League semi-final.”
David Villa, Torres’s strike partner in the Spain side who leads the scoring charts at Euro 2008 with four goals in two games, has revealed how he would love to link up with the player in Liverpool’s forward line.
Valencia maintain publicly that Villa is not for sale but with the player’s stock rising, financial constraints could force their hand.
Villa said: “Liverpool and Chelsea are both big clubs with a lot of attraction.
“Liverpool have a Spanish coach and I also have a lot of friends there. When Rafa (Benitez) was coach at Valencia and I was at Zaragoza there was contact about me joining Valencia but I couldn’t arrive until the year after he left there.”
Valencia are remaining bullish in public over their star striker. The Spaniard’s stunning form in La Liga last season, where he scored 18 goals in a campaign to forget for Los Che, had already reportedly attracted the attention of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool and Chelsea among others.
But Valencia technical secretary Juan Sanchez told Spanish newspaper Marca: “He’s our player, he’s under contract, and the coach is counting on him. We’re very calm and we’ve received no offer for him.”
Valencia president Agustin Morera added that rather than being worried by Villa’s eye-catching performances with Spain, the club should be proud of their player’s achievements.
He said: “He’s an icon who so far has managed to score four goals in the European Championship, something which very few players in the history of football have managed.
“We should be proud that he plays for Valencia, enjoy it, and when we read the newspapers from Barcelona, Madrid and the rest of the world remember that he’s our player.”
He also brushed off speculation linking Villa with a move away from the Mestalla after Euro 2008, saying: “There are offers for Villa every season.”
Meanwhile Barry, another player who sees his future at Anfield, is set to attempt to push through his desired move to Liverpool by handing in a transfer request at Aston Villa.
The England international midfielder, who has been at Villa Park for 11 years, is willing to wave a loyalty bonus of more than £1million in any potential deal to try and move proceedings along.
Despite Villa manager Martin O’Neill admitting that the player wants to move, the two clubs remain deadlocked over a fee and Liverpool’s next offer of up to £18million, which includes add-ons if Barry wins the Premier League title at Anfield and a further 30 England caps, is still unlikely to break the Midlanders’ resolve with Villa demanding £20million.
It has been suggested that manager Rafael Benitez would be prepared to sacrifice his leading goalscorer as he attempts to juggle his summer departures and arrivals.
However Liverpool have insisted the Spanish striker is not for sale, and the player himself has declared that he is not in the transfer market.
Instead Torres, on the mark as Spain booked their place in the last eight at Euro 2008 with a 2-1 win over Sweden, declared: “I came to the club to win trophies.”
Benitez is still haggling with Aston Villa over a price for unsettled captain Gareth Barry and, contrary to reports in Italy, Juventus are still to make a formal offer for Xabi Alonso, which has fuelled speculation in the London-based media that the Liverpool manager could be tempted to sacrifice Torres, should Chelsea come in with a world record bid, in order to push ahead with his rebuilding plans at Anfield.
However, Liverpool have always maintained that they have no desire to cash-in on a player who netted 24 goals in his debut season in the Premier League, eclipsing Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record, just 12 months after his arrival at Anfield for a club record £20million fee.
As well as the strong Spanish connection at Anfield, a desire to win silverware played a large part in Torres’s decision to join English football’s most successful club last summer, after failing to lift a major honour during his six seasons in the Atletico Madrid first team. It is the pursuit of trophies with Liverpool that is spurring the 24-year-old on.
He said: “I want to say very clearly that I’m not on the market and that it’s my desire to continue at Liverpool.
“I’m very happy there and I want to carry on. I came to the club to win trophies. I have many years left on my contract and I expect to win some silverware there.”
Performing on a big European stage is also important for Torres.
Torres never managed to qualify for the Champions League while with Atletico but is determined to go one better with Liverpool next season after playing in the Anfield club’s third Champions League semi-final in four seasons this year – ironically all of which have been against reported suitors Chelsea.
Atletico, who are set to come to Anfield for a pre-season friendly on Friday, August 8, have qualified for the Champions League in their first year without Torres but the Spaniard has no regrets about his move because of the big European nights with Benitez’s side.
He said: “I have gone through things I have never experienced before, like playing in a Champions League semi-final.”
David Villa, Torres’s strike partner in the Spain side who leads the scoring charts at Euro 2008 with four goals in two games, has revealed how he would love to link up with the player in Liverpool’s forward line.
Valencia maintain publicly that Villa is not for sale but with the player’s stock rising, financial constraints could force their hand.
Villa said: “Liverpool and Chelsea are both big clubs with a lot of attraction.
“Liverpool have a Spanish coach and I also have a lot of friends there. When Rafa (Benitez) was coach at Valencia and I was at Zaragoza there was contact about me joining Valencia but I couldn’t arrive until the year after he left there.”
Valencia are remaining bullish in public over their star striker. The Spaniard’s stunning form in La Liga last season, where he scored 18 goals in a campaign to forget for Los Che, had already reportedly attracted the attention of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool and Chelsea among others.
But Valencia technical secretary Juan Sanchez told Spanish newspaper Marca: “He’s our player, he’s under contract, and the coach is counting on him. We’re very calm and we’ve received no offer for him.”
Valencia president Agustin Morera added that rather than being worried by Villa’s eye-catching performances with Spain, the club should be proud of their player’s achievements.
He said: “He’s an icon who so far has managed to score four goals in the European Championship, something which very few players in the history of football have managed.
“We should be proud that he plays for Valencia, enjoy it, and when we read the newspapers from Barcelona, Madrid and the rest of the world remember that he’s our player.”
He also brushed off speculation linking Villa with a move away from the Mestalla after Euro 2008, saying: “There are offers for Villa every season.”
Meanwhile Barry, another player who sees his future at Anfield, is set to attempt to push through his desired move to Liverpool by handing in a transfer request at Aston Villa.
The England international midfielder, who has been at Villa Park for 11 years, is willing to wave a loyalty bonus of more than £1million in any potential deal to try and move proceedings along.
Despite Villa manager Martin O’Neill admitting that the player wants to move, the two clubs remain deadlocked over a fee and Liverpool’s next offer of up to £18million, which includes add-ons if Barry wins the Premier League title at Anfield and a further 30 England caps, is still unlikely to break the Midlanders’ resolve with Villa demanding £20million.
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