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Chelsea in Torres talks as Liverpool agree record Carroll fee

01 February 2011 02:00 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Fernando Torres’ highly-anticipated switch to English champions Chelsea moved a step closer on transfer deadline day after his team Liverpool agreed a fee expected to smash the British transfer record, APA reports quoting CNN.
"The player has now been given permission to speak to the London club," Liverpool’s website reported on Monday night.
That followed the news that Liverpool had agreed a club-record fee for Newcastle’s England striker Andy Carroll, who handed in a transfer request in the afternoon after the 18-time English champions made an improved bid.
If the Carroll deal goes through, it is expected to surpass the previous British record of Â£33 million ($53 million) that Manchester City paid for Brazilian Robinho in 2008 -- while British media reported that Chelsea will pay $75 million for World Cup winner ahead of the 2300 GMT transfer deadline.
The Spain striker’s transfer request was rejected on Saturday, as Liverpool told him to honor the five-year contract he signed in 2009.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been quiet in transfer market for the past two seasons, but appears to be willing to back coach Carlo Ancelotti with the club fourth in the table -- 10 points behind leaders Manchester United.
The London team, also linked with a move for Benfica’s Brazil defender David Luiz, announced on Monday that the Chelsea FC plc made a loss of Â£70.9 million ($113 million) for the year ended June 30, 2010.
"The reduction in operating losses and increased sales in 2009-10 shows that we are moving in the right direction especially when viewed against the difficult macroeconomic environment," chief executive Ron Gourlay told Chelsea’s website.
"The club is in a strong position to meet the challenges of UEFA ’financial fair play’ initiatives which will be relevant to the financial statements to be released in early 2013."
Liverpool’s website reported on Monday evening that Carroll was on the way for personal talks and a medical, meaning he is likely to join Uruguay World Cup striker Luis Suarez at the club.
Earlier on Monday, Suarez passed his medical after having agreed on Friday to join from Dutch club Ajax for a reported fee of $30 million to become Kenny Dalglish’s first major signing in his second stint as manager.
The 24-year-old has scored 111 goals in 159 games for the Amsterdam side.
Another high-profile striker on the move Monday was Tottenham’s Robbie Keane, who has agreed a loan switch to London rivals West Ham until the end of this season.
The move is likely to become permanent should the Hammers, currently bottom of the EPL, avoid relegation to the second flight.
Manager Avram Grant said after the 3-2 FA Cup win Nottingham Forest that he hoped the Republic of Ireland international would provide the spark to get the club away from the drop zone.
"He is not just a good player, he is a good character that we need in the next 14 games," the Israeli told the UK Press Association.
Tottenham, who face AC Milan in the last 16 of the Champions League next month, were linked with a bid for Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero.
But the Argentina striker has signed a new two-and-a-half-year contract extension with the Spanish side until 2014 and told the La Liga outfit’s official website: "I’m staying here because I want to."
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp would not confirm his interest in Aguero or other reported targets in Spain as he arrived for their training session Monday, but told Sky Sports that former England defender Jonathan Woodgate would not be leaving on loan.
Woodgate, who has returned to fitness after long-term injury, is needed as defensive cover after captain Michael Dawson was banned for three matches after being sent off in the 4-0 FA Cup defeat to Fulham, while French fellow center-back Younes Kaboul needs an operation, said Redknapp.
United States international midfielder Michael Bradley is headed to Aston Villa from German side Borussia Monchengladbach on loan until the end of this season.
Villa boss Gerard Houllier told reporters: "We’ve got to prepare for the future and Michael is 23 and a very hard-working midfielder who can score goals."
Houllier also said that the club had received no bids for England winger Ashley Young.
Turkey international striker Tuncay Sanli has moved from English Premier League side Stoke to Wolfsburg in a $7 million deal, the German club announced on their official website.
The Bundesliga side also announced the arrival of attacking midfielders Koo Ja-Cheoul of South Korea and Venezuelan Yohandry Orozco, plus Bayer Leverkusen’s Germany international striker Patrick Helmes and Czech midfielder Jan Polak.
The 21-year-old Koo -- who scored five goals in six matches at the recent Asian Cup -- signed a three-and-a-half-year deal from Korean side Jeju United, while 19-year-old Orozco signed from Venezuela’s Zulia FC until 2015.
German rivals Schalke signed Iran international midfielder Ali Karimi, who worked with coach Felix Magath when they were both at Bayern Munich, plus clubless Greece striker Angelos Charisteas -- who scored the winning goal in the final of Euro 2004.
Serie A leaders AC Milan confirmed on their website the signing of 34-year-old Italy defender Nicola Legrottaglie from league rivals Juventus, on a contract until June this year.
English club Birmingham City signed Nigeria international Obafemi Martins in a six-month loan deal from Russian side Rubin Kazan, after the former Newcastle striker was granted a work permit.