Chelsea Transfer Talk: Why Blues Should Ditch Unhappy Fernando Torres

Fernando Torres and Chelsea FC have seen their troubled relationship hit the breaking point last Saturday after the Spaniard's omission from the Blues' Champions League lineup.

He would eventually get into the game during the closing stages of regular time. The fact he was not allowed to take a penalty only served to make him all the more bitter over the events at the Allianz Arena.

Torres' next move is anyone's guess, but surely it will be away from Stamford Bridge. Any chance Torres has of reviving his career, which seems slim, is going to come outside of England.

The sight of their current No. 9 leaving the club would be most welcome by nearly all Chelsea fans. Torres' one-and-a-half seasons at the club have been mostly unhappy for all parties involved.

Of course, everyone has tried to put a brave face on the situation. Coaches and fellow players have always supported Torres no matter how badly he was misfiring, while the player himself was always working to end his poor form.

Nothing has worked, however, and "El Nino" has become the second coming of Andriy Shevchenko. There have been flashes of the old Torres during his time with Blues, but they have been too few to justify keeping him around.

Chelsea now find themselves with a lemon.

People constantly pump money into broken cars in hopes the problem is isolated and the car will soon be back into top shape. That is rarely the case.

There is no reason to keep Torres on the wage bill because Chelsea do not have what it takes to fix the striker.

Sometimes the best move is to cut your losses. This might be the only move for Chelsea.

Most teams cannot afford the luxury of keeping around an overpaid, underperforming striker for substitute appearances and spot starts. The money may not be the issue for Chelsea, but the performances have been troubling.

If Chelsea hope to reestablish dominance in the league and defend their Champions League crown, they will need every player ready to contribute on a regular basis.

Torres' sporadic form means nobody knows just what to expect from him on a game-to-game basis. The problems go beyond that, though.

His comments after the Champions League final revealed a player who understands that it may be best to move on at this stage of his career.

Keeping hold of Torres would be prolonging an unhealthy relationship. Neither side is fully committed to the other, so there is no real need to continue this charade.

The Blues must also start planning for what lies ahead. 

Didier Drogba's future at Stamford Bridge is still cloudy. Even if Chelsea lose the services of the Ivorian, Torres needs to be shown the door.

Chelsea already seemed destined to buy one striker during the transfer window and may even spring for two if Torres commands a large enough fee.

There are also players available at the club who may be able to fill the role. Daniel Sturridge has been desperate for a more central role, while Romelu Lukaku is another player on the fringes who could be given more responsibility next season.

The most telling fact in all of this is there are very few reasons for Chelsea to keep Torres at this point.

Torres might turn it around, but that upside is not really worth keeping him around. 

Selling Torres will lead to some embarrassing media coverage for both club and player. This is something both parties would rather do without.

However, a fear of some bad publicity is hardly a reason to keep a player around.

If Chelsea are to build on their European success, ownership must swallow its pride and sell Torres. The Andre Villas-Boas sacking worked out for the best and there is no reason to think dumping Torres would be any different.