Once one of the world’s most prolific strikers, Fernando Torres’ career hit a cul-de-sac at Chelsea. No longer wanted by the Blues, the World Cup winner was loaned out to AC Milan in August. Despite only scoring one goal in Serie A, the Rossoneri signed him on a permanent deal in December. They then immediately loaned him out to Atletico Madrid, his hometown club, in exchange for Italian forward Alessio Cerci.
At the age of 30, Torres’ transfer value is unlikely to rise during his 18-month loan spell in Spain. To many outsiders, it appears Milan have decided to cut their losses by exchanging the veteran for a younger model. The question remains though, if Torres’ time in Italy wasn’t a success, why did Milan commit to signing a player they had already decided was not up to the job? Was the club forced to adhere to a prior agreement with Chelsea?
To make matters worse, Milan are rumoured to be spending around €2m-a-season to help cover Torres’ salary at Atletico Madrid. The Italians will be desperate to forget about this protracted transfer saga, but if Torres’ time in Spain coincides with a return to form, this may not be easy to do.
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