Liverpool sold £50m star in dramatic deadline day transfer – but replaced him instantly

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Fernando Torres' £50m move from Liverpool to Chelsea is one of the iconic deadline day transfers(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Few clubs have had a deadline day as memorable and chaotic as Liverpool’s in January 2011.

At the top, Fenway Sports Group, the current ownership, had just replaced Tom Hicks and George Gillett as owners.

But the good feeling was not to last as it emerged that Chelsea were keen to land fan-favourite Torres.



And while his name was still adoringly belted out by the Anfield faithful, the departure of manager Rafa Benitez, with whom he shared a close bond, and uncertainty with regards to the club’s ownership, meant his head had turned.

Torres tried to pledge his commitment to Liverpool in August 2010, 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.”

The woeful performances under Hodgson soon ended that sentiment and Chelsea approached the Reds with a £40million offer on January 27.

On deadline day, Liverpool accepted a mammoth £50m bid, setting a new record for a British transfer and making Torres the sixth most expensive footballer in history at the time.

Torres was left frustrated at Liverpool by January 2011(Image: Getty Images)

He signed a five-and-a-half year deal with the Stamford Bridge side, with the move to Liverpool’s direct Premier League rivals tarnishing his legacy at the club and resulting in him being booed in future fixtures.

Already anticipating the need for a replacement late in the window, Liverpool completed the signing of Luis Suarez from Ajax at around 9pm on deadline day in a deal worth £22.8m, making the Uruguayan the club’s most expensive signing.

But they were not content with just Suarez’s arrival, believing they needed a Premier League proven striker.

Within a week, there was a glimpse of what was to come: Suarez scored on his Liverpool debut against Stoke, Torres struggled in his first Chelsea appearance – a defeat, inevitably, to Liverpool – while Carroll remained sidelined by a thigh injury.

Torres, despite scoring a crucial goal in the lead up to Chelsea’s 2012 Champions League final triumph, was hugely underwhelming in west London, while Carroll would score just 11 goals for the Reds before leaving for West Ham.

Suarez proved to be the true heir to Torres at Liverpool.

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