Chelsea Transfer Rumours: Fernando Torres Needs Move to Revitalize Career

At the outset, Fernando Torres and Chelsea seemed like an ideal fit. A striker in the midst of his prime moving to a club that needed to bolster its attack. It never worked out according to plan though, and now Torres could use a change of scenery.

That became even more apparent when Chelsea announced the signing of fellow striker Samuel Eto'o. The Blues need more production from their strikeforce in order to contend for trophies. They hope veteran Eto'o can rekindle some of his former magic.

The arrival of Eto'o also means the path to consistent playing time for Torres is much tougher to navigate. And he's never going to rediscover the form he showed during stints with Atletico Madrid and Liverpool if he spends most of his time on the sidelines.

So it shouldn't be a major surprise that Chelsea could move the Spanish international. Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror reports the Blues are open to offers on Torres during the final days of the summer transfer window.

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Now, despite Demba Ba being linked with a return to Newcastle, Chelsea are ready to listen to offers for Torres, who was signed from Liverpool for a British record £50 million two years ago.

Spanish sides are aware of his availability, with the 29-year-old having fallen down the pecking order following Eto'o's arrival.

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While Torres has enjoyed some memorable moments with the Blues, the one word that always comes up in a conversation about him is consistency. He has not shown nearly enough of it during his stay for Chelsea to rely on him.

The moments of fine form are offset by extended slumps, when his confidence dips and it seems like he might never score again. And there's too much risk involved with relying on a player with such wild swings in productivity to spearhead the attack.

That's one of the main reasons Eto'o was brought into the fold. He's lost a step since his peak, but he's a striker with a long track record of success. Chelsea also have Romelu Lukaku up front, who needs playing time to flourish.

Elsewhere, the Blues are in great shape. They have terrific depth in the midfield, led by Eden Hazard, Oscar, Juan Mata and Frank Lampard, a reliable back line and Petr Cech keeping things under control in goal. Certainly a very solid squad for Jose Mourinho.

The striker situation was the final thing that needed to get sorted out before the window closed. Chelsea hope adding Eto'o is finally a step in the right direction.

As for Torres, his future apparently remains up in the air with the transfer deadline just a couple days away. It likely comes down to whether or not another club thinks he's worth the risk.

Ultimately, he needs a chance to play on a regular basis without the expectations that have dogged him at Stamford Bridge to get back on track. A complete turnaround with Chelsea is an extreme long shot.