Fernando Torres: Reasons for and Against Chelsea Selling Him

Fernando Torres is one of the most talked-about players in the English Premier League. He was also once one of the most respected strikers in the world.

However, since his £50million move to Chelsea in 2011, the Torres that was so prolific at Liverpool has been hard to find.

After a promising end to last season and four goals in the first seven games of this season, we could be forgiven for starting to believe that El Nino could return to his old ways. Since then however, he has struggled with some poor performances and no goals in the League.

His recent form has caused many to call for Torres to be sold in the January transfer window.

Here are some reasons for and against a potential sale.

For: He Is Not Playing Well

The start to this season gave everyone hope that Torres would emerge better than before.

However, the figures don't lie, and the last few games have been a bit of a disaster for the Spaniard.

Chelsea have built a team that was intended to give Torres all the service he needed, but the Spaniard has not been making the killer runs that he used to, and his finishing has been poor.

The Blues have struggled to score goals in the last few games, and if it is not the fault of their No. 9, then whose fault is it?

Against: The Whole Team Is in a Slump

Torres is not the only player at Chelsea who is suffering a run of poor results. The team has failed to win in the EPL since their 4-2 victory over Tottenham in October.

Roman Abramovich made the unpopular decision to hold Roberto Di Matteo accountable and remove him from his position.

Whether you agree with this decision or not, what it does prove is that there is more than one place to point the blame.

It takes more than one player to lose a football match...unless that player is the goalkeeper.

For: Chelsea Could Save Money on Wages

Torres is one of the Premier League's top wage earners. Getting rid of him would free up some money that might allow Chelsea to buy a couple of other strikers.

Radamel Falcao seems to be the most popular candidate to replace him.

Against: The Blues Will Have a Hard Time Selling Him

The £50 million that Chelsea played for Torres is looking far too high a price now.

If they expect to sell him in the January transfer window, they will have to cut the price significantly, and then they may not be able to find someone to match his wages.

He is still a good enough striker that, with the right price, there will be clubs interested. However, that price might be one that convinces Chelsea to wait it out in case some glimmer of his old form returns.

For: A Loan Spell Could Be Beneficial

Although it would probably involve Chelsea still paying his wages, a loan to a different club could be a good way to help Torres rediscover his goalscoring touch.

It is an unlikely option, but it would be interesting to see the results of such a deal.

Conclusion

While Torres probably still has it in him to score goals, Chelsea's current position means that they cannot afford to wait for him to find those goals.

Whether they sell him or not is less important than buying one or two new strikers to supplement the squad. The money from his sale however, could supplement the cost of a new big-name striker such as Falcao.

El Nino was once a force to be reckoned with, but now he is a handicap that is holding Chelsea back from the victories they need to win trophies this season.