Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is willing to pay Fernando Torres £200,000-a-week to leave Liverpool. The Daily Star says no new formal bid from Chelsea has been submitted since a £35m offer was rebuffed last Thursday. But Abramovich is prepared to match the £50m escape clause which will be triggered in Torres' contract in the summer if Liverpool fail to qualify for the Champions League.
The Chelsea owner is willing to pay him £200,000 a week, but would prefer a player-plus-cash deal. Nicolas Anelka is not the player they are willing to let go - instead sticking to the original idea of £45m plus Daniel Sturridge, which Liverpool have not been keen on.
Abramovich is hoping to make it an eye-watering £76m worth of business today when talks on the £26m switch of Brazil defender David Luiz from Benfica to Stamford Bridge are expected to re-open.
