Liverpool's dramatic deadline day business saw £50m star leave but be replaced instantly

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Fernando Torres' decision to leave Liverpool in January 2011 hurt many fans at Anfield(Image: Getty Images)

Few clubs have experienced a transfer deadline day quite as unforgettable and frenzied as Liverpool's in January 2011.

Yet the positive atmosphere was short-lived as reports surfaced Chelsea were pursuing Fernando Torres, who was one of the club's best ever strikers of the Premier League era.

However, the Spaniard, who netted 33 goals in his unforgettable debut season in the 2007/08 campaign, had grown unsettled at Anfield.



Torres attempted to reaffirm his dedication to Liverpool in August 2010, declaring: "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 dismal displays under Hodgson quickly put an end to that feeling and Chelsea looked to capitalise on the situation by sending a £40million bid on January 27.

Come deadline day, the club accepted a colossal £50m offer, establishing a fresh benchmark for British transfers and making Torres the world's sixth most expensive player at that point.

Fernando Torres made an Alexander Isak-esque move to leave Liverpool(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

He penned a five-and-a-half year contract with the west London outfit, with the switch to Liverpool's direct Premier League competitors damaging his standing at Anfield and ensuring he'd face hostile receptions in subsequent matches.

Already preparing for the necessity of a replacement late in the transfer window, Liverpool secured Luis Suarez from Ajax at around 9pm on deadline day in a £22.8m transaction, making the Uruguayan the club's costliest acquisition.

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However, they weren't satisfied with just Suarez's capture, feeling they required a Premier League proven forward.

Within a week, there was a preview of what lay ahead: Suarez netted on his Liverpool debut against Stoke, Torres floundered in his maiden Chelsea outing – a loss, predictably, to Liverpool – whilst Carroll stayed on the side-lines with a thigh problem.

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Torres, despite netting a vital goal in the build-up to Chelsea's 2012 Champions League final victory, proved massively disappointing in west London, whilst Carroll managed just 11 goals for the Reds before departing for West Ham.