10 Most Controversial Transfers Of The Premier League Era
2. Fernando Torres To Chelsea
In August 2010, Fernando Torres pledged his unswerving commitment to Liverpool football club. Five months later. he was a Chelsea player. In the summer of 2010, interest in Torres was mounting from rival clubs who wanted to take him away from Anfield, but the Spaniard reassured the Kop he was going nowhere, saying: "My commitment and loyalty to the club and to the fans is the same as it was on my first day when I signed." Torres remained a Liverpool player despite the interest and the Reds were able to survive the summer transfer window without selling their prized asset. However, Chelsea refused to give up hope, and in January 2011 lodged a £40 million bid. Liverpool rejected the offer, leading to Torres handing in a transfer request. The Blues upped their bid to what today remains a British transfer record £50 million and the forward was allowed to leave. Many still resent Nando over the nature of his departure, but in a cryptic interview shortly after his move, the ex-Atletico Madrid man said he could not understand why he is so reviled on Merseyside. He said: The Liverpool fans dont know the truth about why I signed for Chelsea. The fans dont even know half of what happened.
"They dont know what the people in charge at Liverpool are like they have a completely different perception of what they are like. They made promises that they didnt keep and I left because I realised I didnt have time to be part of a project that would take years. I have nothing against the Liverpool fans. I didnt want to leave Liverpool the way I did but the club lied. I was let down and I dont understand why the fans hate me.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
