Fernando Torres' failure to find his best form cost Roberto di Matteo his job at Chelsea.

The Daily Mail says upon his appointment, Di Matteo presented Roman Abramovich with a list of summer transfer targets.

Radamel Falcao, the free-scoring striker with 36 goals in 50 appearances for Atletico Madrid in his first season in Spain, was at the top of it.

But before Chelsea's manager could even make a case for the Colombian striker he was cut short. Abramovich told him he already had a world-class finisher and the message was clear: Torres was to play. It was a message that was repeated on an almost daily basis.