Liverpool close to Torres deal?

[Mac 10 †]

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Liverpool to land £26.5m Torres

Liverpool are on the brink of sealing a club record £26.5m deal to sign Atletico Madrid's Fernando Torres.

BBC Sport understands a transfer has now been agreed between Liverpool and Atletico, with Diego Forlan replacing the departing Torres.

Liverpool's Luis Garcia is likely to go in the opposite direction for £4.5m, but the Torres deal will not collapse if he rejects the switch.

Boss Rafa Benitez is being linked with Manchester United's Gabriel Heinze.

Argentine defender Heinze is currently playing in the Copa America, but there is growing speculation Liverpool will try to do a deal for the 29-year-old.

It may prove complicated, however, with fierce rivals Liverpool and United notoriously reluctant to sell players to each other.

Torres is Liverpool's main priority, and there is hope that he could put pen to paper within the next few days.

Atletico's announcement that they had agreed a £14.2m deal to sign former Manchester United striker Forlan on a four-year contract from Villarreal is effectively confirmation that Torres is on his way to Anfield.

Liverpool officials are playing their cards close to their chest on what will be a move that shatters their previous club record deal, the £14m paid to Auxerre for Djibril Cisse three seasons ago.

But it is understood the framework of the Torres move is finally in place between the two clubs after lengthy and complicated negotiations - although Liverpool remain cautious until it is actually signed and sealed.

Liverpool's approach is understandable given that Torres has reportedly been leaving Atletico for several seasons, only for moves to fall at the final hurdle.

Spanish international Garcia is expected to sign for Atletico, but if he remains at Anfield, Liverpool's new owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks will pay straight cash for Torres.

Torres, 23, is currently on holiday until early July, but Benitez remains hopeful of confirming the deal then, with personal terms not expected to be a problem.

Atletico fans held a protest at the possible deal, and a club spokesman has tried to cool suggestions that move is now imminent.

The spokesman said: "The player is on holiday at the moment and will report back to training on 9 July for an Intertoto match.

"At the moment, any talk of a move is just speculation and we are still hopeful that Fernando will be with us next season."

Atletico are reluctant to sell, but Torres is believed to be keen to link up with Benitez.

Benitez wants to land Torres to provide a spearhead for an assault on the title - and also allow Gillett and Hicks to demonstrate their own financial commitment to his plans.

Torres has been consistently linked with a move to England, particularly with Arsenal and Chelsea, but Liverpool are now set to win the race.

If he signs, he will join fellow countrymen Garcia, Pepe Reina and Xabi Alonso, as well as boss Benitez.

Gil Marin, Atletico's major shareholder insisted that Torres is not irreplaceable.

"Nobody is indispensable. No player by himself, very good though he is, is able to make a team achieve its aims," Gil Marin said on Punto Radio.

"We have spoken to him and told him we would like him to stay. It is normal that he has doubts. It is normal that the offers and everything surrounding them has made him think."

Torres, 23, scored 14 league goals in 36 starts this season as Atletico finished seventh in La Liga.

The Spain international's Atletico contract runs until 2009.

Torres came up though the youth ranks at Atletico and has been their leading scorer in each of the last five seasons.

[KURUPTION-81]

A good buy unfortunatly.The only think that makes me wonder about how good torres actually is the facts he is not prolific and neither barca or real have stepped in for him. Especially as he is the golden boy of spain.

As for heinze going to liverpool there is no chance of that, ferguson would never strengthen liverpools side. Only a month and a half a go he said before the champions league final that he would open up a bottle of red wine to celebrate milan beating liverpool. If Heinze is going to leave which i hope he wont, it would probably be to real madrid.

[Lil White Azz]

If Heinze is going to leave which i hope he wont, it would probably be to real madrid.

Yeah, I agree with you on that one. It would be intresting to see how torres would play outside atletico....

[On The Edge of Insanity]

Heinze seems keen to stay in England, so if he buys himself out of his contract, which he is now able to do, United wouldn't have any say in where he eventually ended up.

[Antonio_]

A little bit overrated, if you ask me. He ain't worth that amount of money imho.

[K.Dub]

Good signing. Hope he flops

[Sweet & Tender Hooligan]

Very good signing. Really hope Liverpool mount a challenge this year.

[da_notorious_mack]

done & dusted..just signed a 6 year contract..


i wanted tevez...

[bez]

get the shite a good 9 or 10 goals next season, better than Bellamy, Crouch, Kuyt!

[KURUPTION-81]

Heinze seems keen to stay in England, so if he buys himself out of his contract, which he is now able to do, United wouldn't have any say in where he eventually ended up.

Theres no real reason for him to join another english club though, there isnt another english club who could guarentee him more success except for maybe chelsea. He was in and out of the team a bit last year but he started the cup final and captined the side a couple of times last year, surely that shows how high fergie rates him.

I can understand if he wanted to go to spain to try another type of football.

[Boo-Yaa †]

Surely Bellamy will now be on his way out?

[Mac 10 †]

Surely Bellamy will now be on his way out?

[KURUPTION-81]

Surely Bellamy will now be on his way out?

yup benitez has pretty much confirmed it told bellamy he can take his golf club with him

Asked if Bellamy will be leaving, Benitez said: "Possibly. We have some clubs asking about him and it's a possibility.

"The only thing I can say is that Crouch will be staying with us. I have said to Crouch that he must fight for his position and he will stay with us"

http://msnsport.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=475228&CPID=8&clid=14&lid=&title=Benitez+hints+at+Bellamy+exit

[Sweet & Tender Hooligan]

Heinze seems keen to stay in England, so if he buys himself out of his contract, which he is now able to do, United wouldn't have any say in where he eventually ended up.

Theres no real reason for him to join another english club though, there isnt another english club who could guarentee him more success except for maybe chelsea. He was in and out of the team a bit last year but he started the cup final and captined the side a couple of times last year, surely that shows how high fergie rates him.

I can understand if he wanted to go to spain to try another type of football.

Who do you prefer, Heinze or Evra?

[KURUPTION-81]

Heinze seems keen to stay in England, so if he buys himself out of his contract, which he is now able to do, United wouldn't have any say in where he eventually ended up.

Theres no real reason for him to join another english club though, there isnt another english club who could guarentee him more success except for maybe chelsea. He was in and out of the team a bit last year but he started the cup final and captined the side a couple of times last year, surely that shows how high fergie rates him.

I can understand if he wanted to go to spain to try another type of football.

Who do you prefer, Heinze or Evra?

i dont know to be honest , heinze first season he was brilliant and was voted the fans player of the season but then he had his serious injury and hasnt been the same. Evra was a liability when he first arrived but he has become really good this last season. Evra offers more going forward but heinze is better defensivly, id like to keep both but im not sure if they will both want to share the left back spot.

If it came to the big matches id prob pick heinze just .