Winners and Losers of Fernando Torres Transfer Saga

The Fernando Torres transfer saga continued on Monday following confirmation he will rejoin Atletico Madrid, just days after Milan made his loan from Chelsea permanent. So, who exactly are the winners and losers since Torres departed Liverpool nearly four years ago?

Torres will arrive in Madrid on an 18-month loan deal. The Spaniard confirmed his return on Twitter, with boyhood club Atletico following suit just minutes later:

Once a name that struck fear in the hearts of defenders, Torres has endured high-profile difficulties since leaving Liverpool. With so many twists and turns, his transfer saga has left some rejoicing and some wanting to forget.

Winner: Liverpool

If Torres arrived at Liverpool with a big reputation, he left with an enormous one.

Eighty-one goals in three-and-a-half years on Merseyside cemented Torres as a world-class striker in the eyes of the footballing community.

The Spaniard tearing Nemanja Vidic apart (below, 1:20) will live long in the memory of fans:

However, Liverpool are definitely the winners here. Torres' decline had already begun before he left Anfield, so to get £50 million for a misfiring striker is phenomenal business—particularly as it covered the transfer fee of Luis Suarez that same January.

In December, Rob Shepherd of the Daily Mail reported Liverpool were interested in re-signing Torres.

Being beaten to him by Atletico is a blessing in disguise for the Reds. While they may be in desperate need of a striker, the 30-year-old would have been yet another gamble in the transfer market, and one they can ill afford.

Loser: Chelsea

On the other side of that £50 million transfer was Chelsea, who did not get the better part of the deal.

While money is of little consequence to Roman Abramovich, the fee and a reported £175,000-per-week wage is a significant investment for relatively little return.

Despite 30 more appearances for the Blues than the Reds, Torres managed just 45 goals, with only 20 coming in the league. Unsurprisingly, Chelsea failed to win a league title in that time.

The miss below summarises the majority of his Blues career:

While Chelsea won other trophies, Torres was never key to their play and was often fielded out of necessity rather than form. 

Loser: Carlo Ancelotti 

Ancelotti was the manager at Chelsea when Torres signed in January 2011. Although the Italian insisted that Torres was not thrust upon him, owner Abramovich's long-held admiration of the player was no secret.

Whether Ancelotti was forced to field him or not, Torres netted once in 18 appearances in his first season at Chelsea. They finished second in the league, and Ancelotti was fired. Had Torres been even close to his best, Chelsea may well have won the title.

Ancelotti clearly assigns no blame to Torres though, nor harbours any ill will towards him: 

The 55-year-old may be a loser in this case, but not a sore one. 

Winner: Milan

Milan may have seemed like losers in the deal, having signed Torres on the back of a frankly unimpressive loan spell. In 10 appearances for the Rossoneri, the striker has scored only once.

Iain Macintosh of The Guardian was quick to see the humour:

However, as part of the loan deal sending Torres to Madrid, Milan will receive Italy international Alessio Cerci.

While Cerci has struggled to make an impact with Los Rojiblancos, he had a phenomenal season at Torino last year (shown below) and is already adept at plying his trade in Serie A.

With Milan sitting in seventh, but only two points off the final UEFA Champions League place, Cerci's creativity and experience could give the Rossoneri the edge to secure qualification.

Winner: Torres

So often a loser in his own transfer saga, Torres has struggled immeasurably since departing Liverpool at 26.

He lost his form, confidence and reputation during what should have been the peak years of his career.

That said, in his time at Chelsea, he won the FA Cup, Champions League and Europa League. Liverpool won a solitary League Cup.

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

What truly makes Torres a winner now, though, is that this long drawn-out affair might finally have a happy ending.

Seven-and-a-half years after leaving, the forward returns to the Vicente Calderon where he is still adored.

According to Football Italia, Torres said: "I'm going to Atletico in search of happiness. As a child my dream was to play for Atletico and to go back now is another dream I've completed."

Pete Jenson of the Daily Mail believes the pressure on Torres will be eased by the scoring form of Mario Mandzukic. The in-form Antoine Griezmann makes this doubly the case, as the video demonstrates.

This will allow the Spain hitman to relax as he settles back in. The sharpness, the decisive touch and the runs into space can all return more naturally. With the pressure off, the Torres of old may finally reemerge from the shadows. 

Winner: Atletico Madrid

While Torres certainly has the potential to rediscover himself in Madrid, it's impossible to say with any certainty. After all, the man who got the best out of him at Liverpool—Rafa Benitez—couldn't do the same at Chelsea.

However, if anyone can reignite him, it's Diego Simeone and Atletico. Once team-mates in Madrid, Simeone is now a successful manager. For all the romance of the deal, Torres has been brought back on the belief that he can add something to the team, per Sid Lowe of The Guardian.

At 30 years old, there is still time for him to make an impact. However, this move is really his last chance to return.

Being a loan deal, and with their other strikers in good form, Torres represents a low risk for Atletico.

Even if he is not the player he once was, Madrid will just be happy that El Nino has finally come home.