Fernando Torres worth more than 50 million pounds: Rafael Benitez
Former Liverpool and Inter Milan manager Rafael Benitez has insisted that he could have sold Fernando Torres for 70 million pounds in the 2009-10 season.
The Spanish striker recently joined Chelsea for a British record fee of 50 million pounds on the last day of January 2011 transfer window.
It was Rafael Benitez who brought Fernando Torres to Anfield from Atletico Madrid for 20 million pounds in the summer of 2006. The former Liverpool manager now claims that El Nino was worth more than what Chelsea have paid to the Merseyside club. The former
Inter Milan boss stated that a bid of 70 million pounds for Torres, understood to be from Manchester City, was offered in the 2009-10 season.
Benitez, who managed Liverpool from 2004 to 2006, said, “I think last year we were talking about £70m. People were talking about maybe you receive an offer from another club. They were talking about £70m. He is not playing at the same level as last time,
but he is still a very good player. It is big money but could (have been) even better.”
Rafael Benitez, who won the historic 2005 Champions League with Liverpool, left the Anfield managerial position with mutual consent and went on to join European Champions Inter Milan in 2010. However, the Spaniard failed to produce results at San Siro and
had to depart after just six months.
Rafael Benitez spoke to the media for the first time after leaving Inter Milan and expressed his wish to manage Liverpool once again.
“To be manager of Liverpool is a dream for me. This time, I know that Kenny is doing really well. I have to wait and keep watching games, but if you say to me in the future would you like to be manager, for sure, no doubt about this. When, that is the question.
I have to move forward, anyway,” said the Spaniard.