Inter Milan Schemes $33.5 Million Bid To Snatch Fernando Torres From Chelsea
Inter Milan, the traditional Italian powerhouse who are struggling in Serie A this season, are plotting to grab discontented striker Fernando Torres away from English Premier League club Chelsea FC this summer, as 18-time Scudetto winner Inter tries to rebuild after a season in which they appear likely to finish out of the running for Champions League qualification.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has already said that he plans to add a world-class striker over the summer, which would make Torres an odd man out. Torres came to Chelsea from Liverpool at the close of the 2011 January transfer window for a whopping £50 million — $83.6 million — transfer fee, which at the time made Torres the sixth-most costly footballer ever, and set a record for a British transfer fee.
But just as he was on the outs at Liverpool, Torres never caught on at Stamford Bridge. The drop in his value is reflected in the reported Inter Milan bid for 29-year-old Torres, which is £20 million, or $34 million. The Inter bid is still a high one, but nowhere near what Chelsea paid three years ago for the Spanish international.
In this year’s January transfer window, Inter Milan approached Chelsea about a possible deal for Juan Mata, but though Mata ended up staying in England for a move to Manchester United, according to The Daily Mail which broke the story of the planned Inter Milan bid for Torres, the negotiations helped strengthen relations between the two clubs and paved the way for the potential summer move of Torres.
Inter Milan already has exiting Manchester United captain Nemanja Vicic in the fold, confirming Wednesday that the Serbian whose contract with Manchester United expires after this season, has already inked a deal to bring him to Inter in June.
In January, Inter Milan paid about $28 million to acquire Brazilian midfielder Hernanes from Lazio, so it appears that the new Indonesian ownership of Inter Milan is more committed to rebuilding the squad than principal owner Erick Thohir earlier indicated.
There also appears no question that Mourino will not hesitate to part with Fernando Torres, especially with a $34 million offer fro, Inter Milan. The self-proclaimed Special One is said to be targeting either Diego Costa of Inter’s crosstown rival Atletico Madrid, or Rademel Falcao of French side Monaco.
A rich offer for Torres from Inter Milan would make either of those big-money acquisitions much more feasible.
