Liverpool reject mega-money bids for Torres

LIVERPOOL have rejected four mega-money bids for Fernando Torres after manager Rafael Benitez ruled the Spanish striker was not for sale at any price. Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City all made it clear they would pay £60 million (RM348m) for Torres after being encouraged by the lack of transfer cash available at Anfield.

TORRES: Liverpool are rejecting all offers for the Spaniard

But Benitez was told by Liverpool’s struggling American owners that they would leave the decision to him. And his answer was that Torres was untouchable. After seeing United boss Alex Ferguson cash in on Cristiano Ronaldo for a world-record £80 million just months after vowing never to do business with Real, Benitez felt compelled to keep hold of Liverpool’s most prized asset.

“We have had some very big offers for some of our key players this summer and that includes Torres,” Benitez told The Mirror. “Clubs wanted Torres and we were contacted by agents working for those clubs. But we always knew that when a bid came in we would say ‘no’.

“The main thing was that Torres wanted to stay here. People knew the player wanted to stay, but it did not stop clubs trying.

“Football has changed and there is big, big money around. But we still have the same idea to keep the spine of the team and work hard for next season. In football and life you cannot guarantee anything, that is a fact.

“I don’t want to speak about United selling Ronaldo to Real because he is not my player and they are not my team. “But what I will say is that we wanted to send out a message that Liverpool are a strong team and that we want to improve. You don’t improve by selling your best players.”

Torres, a £20 million capture from Atletico Madrid two years ago, would not consider a return to his home city to play for a club he regarded as the enemy.

A move to Old Trafford would have been just as unlikely given United’s status as Liverpool’s bitter rivals and City’s failure to tempt the club into selling the Spaniard twice last season. Chelsea, though, have been strongly linked with Torres before and would have been favourites to land him if Benitez had sanctioned a sale.

Torres has been quick to dismiss reports that he is unsettled on Merseyside and would prefer to live in London. The 25-year-old has been given extra time to recover from his Confederations Cup exertions — along with Xabi Alonso and Andrea Dossena.

All three will return to duty next week for the club’s tour to Thailand and Singapore. Torres’ fitness will be monitored throughout the season and he has undergone specialist physical conditioning to ensure there is no repeat of the hamstring problems that hit him last season after playing at Euro 2008. (mmail)