Analysing the Transfer Gossip – 31st July (Part 1)

Striker Fernando Torres, 29, could be offered an exit from Chelsea after Valencia showed interest.

What’s the story? Interesting. The Torres exit stories have been quite thin on the ground so far, so it’s intriguing when one surfaces.

Does it make sense? Yes, largely. Valencia are probably going to need to replace Roberto Soldado up front and Torres showed glimpses of his old self last season. The question for Chelsea is whether they want to let him go. He is still their most proven option and although Mourinho is talking of backing the youth, it remains to be seen if he’s fully committed.

Is the price right? How to work out Torres’ price? They paid £50m but he clearly isn’t worth paying half of that for. However, he is still worth something in the £15-20m range given the circumstances. Can Valencia really afford that? Even if they do sell Soldado, they still have a new stadium to finish building.

Will it happen? 3/10 – It’s a good football fit but financially it’s dubious.