A Bullish Move

Well, just the other day I tweeted that this was the worse transfer window ever. Bent and Dzeko aside, not much has happened. And then, on Friday, we got some action.

To me, something seemed fishy. Chelsea allegedly had bid £52m for Atheltico Madrid pair Aguero and Godin, and nothing had come of it. Then, £22m or so for Benfica's Brzailian defender David Luiz. Off and on, now seemingly dead. Then, most surprising of all, a reported £35m bid for Fernando Torres. This coming just as Liverpool were in the process of sealing the signature of Luis Suarez, who would appear to be the ideal compliment to Torres in Liverpool's attack. My suspicion is that Chelsea were merely flashing money around to make it seem like they were taking action to arrest what has been an alarming decline, but weren't really serious about signing anybody. However, the news that Torres has in fact handed in a transfer request makes me think that there may be some substance to this bid for the Spaniard.

Anyway, let's just assume that Chelsea are serious about signing Torres. What would he add? Well, surely he is the best natural finisher in the Premier League, if not in world football. However, he wouldn't really have changed the shape of the Sunderland or Arsenal games in the past few months. And, he probably wouldn't have prevented Louis Saha's header in this afternoon's FA Cup tie. Still, he would surely provide more of a cutting edge than Anelka, and could have made the difference against the likes of Wolves and Birmingham, games Chelsea have lost 1-0 in recent times. And, Chelsea are a team that don't tend to create an abundance of chances-Torres is just the man to exploit such limited opportunities.

But how would Chelsea line up with the mercurial Spaniard on board? Surely they wouldn't persist with the 4-3-3? The most likely scenario to me is a 4-1-2-1-2, aka the 'Diamond' with Essien deep, Ramires and Malouda right and left respectively, Lampard 'in the hole' and Drogba and Torres up front. Surely they would not ask Torres to play the same type of position as Anelka? That formation doesn't really work for me, as Essien needs to be allowed to surge forward to get the most out of him. The alternative would be to play Essien on the right and Mikel as the anchor, but how can you leave out the ever improving Ramires? (I'm assuming that Lampard is 'untouchable, although I would argue he is the odd man out in a balanced midfield quartet at Chelsea these days).

All moot points until any transfer is confirmed, which is still far from likely at this point. The situation seems to mirror that which Man Utd faced with Wayne Rooney earlier this year, and we know how that has worked out. If Liverpool do manage to keep Torres, they will be hoping for a great return than 2 goals, which is what Man Utd have got from Rooney since he committed his future to the red half of Manchester.

Why exactly has Torres handed in this request now, just as Liverpool have signed what could prove to be a player of real class and have started making some forward progress under Kenny Dalglish, and, have American owners who appear committed to the club and appreciative of its heritage. At the same time, Chelsea appear to be a team in decline. Their chances of retaining their Premier League title appear remote. While they have a favourable draw in he Champions League, it's hard to see them beating the likes of Barcelona or Inter Milan should they progress past FC Copenhagen. And, their place in next season's Champions League is far from certain at this point. I can only think that(a) he has been offered (unofficially) a ridiculous wage; (B) is not enamoured with Dalglish; (c) is tired of having his house robbed and worried at the thought of his children growing up to sound like John Aldridge.

It's interesting as well that Torres waited until now. If money was the issue, then surely he should have been making noises earlier in January, when Man City were shopping for Edin Dzeko. It's hard to believe that money would be an issue for City now, even with the money spent on Dzeko, and so I wouldn't be surprised if we hear from them before close of business on Monday.

Right now, all that is certain is that Liverpool fans face an anxious wait for the next 48 or so hours. For Chelsea, the signing of Torres could be the spark the team needs this season if they are to complete an unlikely turnaround.