LONDON: Atletico Madrid are struggling to finance a deal to bring Fernando Torres (pic) back to the club from Chelsea.
The club’s chief executive Miguel Angel Gil was in London at the weekend amid reports that he had offered £12.5 million (RM68 million) for the 30-year-old ex-Liverpool striker.
However, Torres is reluctant to take a pay cut from his estimated £8 million a year salary and Chelsea would want closer to £20 million for a player they paid £50 million for three years ago.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone hinted last season that Torres would be welcome back at the Vicente Calderon Stadium where he spent his formative years but they will have to stretch their budget.Alvaro Negredo’s broken metatarsal means he will likely stay at Manchester City but even he would have cost Atletico £26 million.
Torres is 30 now and Atletico believe their offer is a reasonable price.
The two clubs have already agreed deals on Diego Costa and Filipe Luis and although Romelu Lukaku was offered to Atletico, Simeone would prefer other options. Daily Mail