Fernando Torres still has two years left to run on his Chelsea contract, but if a report from Eurosport is correct, there's a chance he could be heading off early. The supposed suitors? His boyhood club, Atlético Madrid, a team the Blues have been doing plenty of business with lately.
According to the report, representatives from Atlético have been in London negotiating terms for the striker, with Chelsea asking for £13 million for Torres. That might sound as though the club would be taking a huge loss on Torres, whom they signed for £50 million plus an enormous pay package from Liverpool back in 2011, but in truth a sale now would be beneficial to the books: there is about £18 million left to pay on his amortised fee, and if Chelsea get more than around £8 million for the 30-year-old the Blues will be in an improved financial state both this year and beyond*.
*Because his wages would no longer be on the books.
The margins, however, are fine, and Atlético are trying to talk Chelsea down from their asking price. Whether or not they're successful is an open question, and whether or not Fernando Torres would be willing to take a presumably enormous paycut, even for a team he has close ties to, is also in some doubt. There's also the very pertinent question of how well a big striker signing would slot into a team that's just signed Bayern Munich's Mario Mandzukic. There are in other words, many, many barriers in the way of a move actually happening.
But, if nothing else, that we're getting an outlet like Eurosport reporting on the prospect of a Torres move is an indication that he might actually be moveable this summer. Interesting times ahead, perhaps?