Chelsea Transfer News: Fernando Torres Atletico Madrid Interest Emerges

Following a thus-far disappointing attempt to revive his career at the San Siro, Fernando Torres has once again become a target for former club Atletico Madrid.

However, Los Rojiblancos will only sign the on-loan Chelsea striker if they can acquire his signature on a free transfer, per the Daily Mail's Simon Jones.

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Torres is barely three-and-a-half months into his two-year spell with Milan, but it's understood the Rossoneri are searching for a way to offload his expensive contract.

Diego Simeone recently commented on the reputation Torres still holds at Atletico when asked about the potential of seeing the attacker return to his former stomping ground, per Mark Doyle of Goal.com: "We must be respectful with my squad. Despite how important a player Fernando is. I can't speak about other players because it wouldn't be fair for my players. I just have to focus on my guys."

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Gianluca Di Marzio has revealed that Atletico forward Alessio Cerci could play a big hand in the deal. It's reported Filippo Inzaghi's side offered Torres plus cash as a swap for their past target, but the Spaniards rejected their offer.

Torres has scored one goal in 10 league appearances since moving to Serie A this past summer, struggling to show that his poor strike ratio at Stamford Bridge was merely down to bad fortune in west London.

According to Tancredi Palmeri of beIN Sports, Chelsea would be fine with Torres swapping his allegiances for another club, just as long as he's away from their borders:

Despite winning last season's La Liga title, Atletico still aren't able to compete with some of their European peers in the market, with Jones noting their debt of more than £400 million.

Simeone's side have been linked with a move for Torres before, with the 30-year-old having spent 12 years at the Vicente Calderon after joining their academy in 1995.

Antonio Calanni/Associated Press

His form in the Spanish capital eventually earned him a 2007 switch to Liverpool, but since joining Chelsea in 2011, his reputation has plummeted, and Atleti are no longer willing to risk significant investment in his name.

Palmeri goes on to quote Adriano Galliani in saying Torres will remain in Italy this winter, but he makes sure to take note of the indecisive language used by the Milan CEO:

"

Milan ceo Galliani on Torres: "I don't think he'll leave on January, but the market is unpredictable". 'Think'...'unpredictable'...

— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) December 14, 2014"

The Rossoneri are making their latest effort to return to the Serie A hierarchy and currently sit sixth in the standings, but the promise of trading his talent away with more encouraging players in mind is tempting.

Matteo Bonetti of beIN Sports illustrates just how swiftly the forward's renown has fallen since arriving at the San Siro after he missed his side's recent outing against Napoli:

Torres has now failed to feature under Inzaghi for Milan's last three Serie A fixtures, with Giampaolo Pazzini instead weaving his way back into the manager's setup.

Despite Palmeri's claims, Chelsea may like to see Torres go somewhere other than the Vicente Calderon. With Atletico still in the Champions League round of 16, they'd be reluctant to aid a potential European rival.

That being said, it would appear the mechanics of any potential deal have a long way to go before Torres' loyalties will be traded, with his stock currently sitting at its lowest-ever value.