[Dellas]

Torres scored 14 goals last season for Atletico
Liverpool are on the brink of landing Atletico Madrid's Fernando Torres in a club record £27m deal.

BBC Sport understands negotiations are almost complete for the 23-year-old Spain striker and boss Rafa Benitez is confident he has got his top target.

Atletico Madrid want Liverpool's Luis Garcia, but that move is independent of the Torres transfer.

Torres is currently on holiday until early July, but Benitez remains hopeful of having a deal in place by then.

Atletico fans held a protest at the possible deal, and a club spokesman has tried to cool suggestions that move is now imminent.

The spokesman said: "The player is on holiday at the moment and will report back to training on 9 July for an Intertoto match.

"At the moment, any talk of a move is just speculation and we are still hopeful that Fernando will be with us next season."

Atletico are reluctant to sell, but Torres is believed to be keen to link up with Benitez.

Benitez wants to land Torres to provide a spearhead for an assault on the title - and also allow new owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks to demonstrate their own financial commitment to his plans.


Torres has been consistently linked with a move to England, particularly with Arsenal and Chelsea, but Liverpool are now set to win the race.

If he signs, he will join fellow countrymen Garcia, Pepe Reina and Xabi Alonso, as well as boss Benitez.

Atletico had earlier played down Liverpool's interest, with president Cerezo saying: "We've had no offer from Liverpool for Torres. He's on his holiday and resting.

"I repeat that there has been nothing about Torres from any team. We're now working to create a good team for the coming year."

However, Gil Marin, Atletico's major shareholder insisted that Torres is not irreplaceable.

"Nobody is indispensable. No player by himself, very good though he is, is able to make a team achieve its aims," Gil Marin said on Punto Radio.

"We have spoken to him and told him we would like him to stay. It is normal that he has doubts. It is normal that the offers and everything surrounding them has made him think."

Torres, 23, scored 14 league goals in 36 starts this season as Atletico finished seventh in La Liga.

The Spain international's Atletico contract runs until 2009.

Torres came up though the youth ranks at Atletico and has been their leading scorer in each of the last five seasons.

source: BBC SPORT | Football | Europe | Liverpool close to landing Torres