Liverpool FC Transfer Saga: Suarez Deal Finalised and Torres Asks To Leave

The winter transfer window has been running like a daily soap, especially for Liverpool. 

There were names being floated left,right and center about the players being targeted by the club to reinforce their squad. However, after the dust settled, the three names that were on the top were Suarez, Charlie Adam and ex-Liverpool player Stephen Warnock.

There were too many media reports about the behind the scenes action—some true and some utter nonsense. 

Just when everyone was expecting an announcement regarding an imminent signing, the club announced the sale of Ryan Babel to Hoffenheim. The fans definitely saw that as a means to arrange cash to bring players in. 

But after that announcement on Jan. 18, there was a lull. 

However, the managers of the players being targeted kept the neutrals entertained by issuing daily statements of threat.

Holloway had something to say about Charlie Adam almost daily and wanted Liverpool to pay for him, a sum which, by all means was insane. Then, there were ultimatums by Frank de Boer that Liverpool, if they fail to sign Suarez by certain deadlines, then he won't be sold. 

The deadline was approaching and the fans feared for the worst, as they were seeing the possibility of another transfer window where the club makes a profit instead of investing in the squad. 

The lull was finally broken yesterday, when after, what seemed like ages of negotiations, the Reds announced that they had finally agreed to a fee for Suarez with Ajax. All the fans were ecstatic and were relishing the prospect of seeing Torres and Suarez upfront. 

A day before that, there were reports in the media regarding a bid made for Torres by Chelsea and most people had dismissed those reports as almost everyone had seen such reports daily during the summer transfer window when nothing happened. 

However, the joy of signing Suarez soon turned into—disappointment for some, anger for the others—when the club announced that Torres had handed in a formal transfer request, that had been rejected by the club.

Now, the club has two options before itself.

One, to persuade Torres to stay and have a player in the squad who, undoubtedly is one of the top players but really does not want to be there. However, this may affect the mood in the dressing room and almost everyone would agree that a player who does not have his heart in the right place, is not even the half the player that he could be.

The Liverpool fans have always prided themselves on the fact that no player is bigger than the club and I see no reason that should be any different for Torres.

If media reports are to be believed, Chelsea are set to offer £40 plus Daniel Sturridge for Torres. The more pragmatic approach might be to accept the offer, and use the cash to get players like Alvaro Negredo, a player whom Liverpool had in the back of their minds in case the Suarez deal failed. This cash could also help in finally getting Charlie Adam as well.

So by letting Torres go, one could see the prospect of seeing three strikers come in—Suarez, Negredo and Sturridge. So, Liverpool could see the prospect of having three decent strikers in their squad—something that apart from Manchester City (who seem to have 10 players for every position), only Sunderland (though with the sale of Bent, they too have lost that) and Manchester United seem to have.

But even if Liverpool want to consider selling Torres, it should be done soon, so that the club has enough time to secure the deals for the other players they need to buy. Doing another deadline day deal like that of Mascherano, when the cash went directly to the pockets of the club without any investment, would only hurt the club. 

As a personal opinion, I believe that no player is bigger than the club and if Torres wants to leave, should be allowed to do so, provided the club has enough time and has worked enough overtime, so that the deals for the replacements can be concluded within the transfer window. 

I am sure there would be some fans, who would love the prospect of holding on the Torres, whether or not he want to stay at the club. Some angry fans would also want Liverpool to hold on to him, only to make him suffer for six months before letting him go. 

But I would love for Liverpool to act like the Big Club it is and show the would that, even in times of crisis—the club is not dependent on a single player.