Torres

Five MLS clubs set to battle for signing of former Liverpool and Chelsea star – report

/ Louis East / Leave a comment

Five Major League Soccer teams are set to fight for the signing of Spanish striker Fernando Torres this summer, according to Marca. The 34-year-old forward will be a free agent once his contract with Atletico Madrid comes to an end in June, leaving the former Liverpool and Chelsea star free to negotiate what will surely be the final move of his career.

Torres has been linked with a move to the Chinese Super League but it’s understood he is not keen on making the move to Asia. He rejected the chance to join CSL side Dalian Yifang in February and would reportedly prefer a move to the United States.

With no La Liga sides making Torres an offer at this point, and just a month left of the season in Spain, Torres is looking to MLS. The five clubs who are reportedly interested in bringing him to the league are Chicago Fire, Montreal Impact, New York City FC, Seattle Sounders and Sporting Kansas City.

A move to NYCFC would allow Torres to link up with former international teammate and good friend David Villa. The pair fired Spain to Euro 2008 glory as well as the 2010 World Cup title. New York City FC do not currently have a Designated Player slot free though, so Torres would need to accept being a TAM signing to move to the Big Apple.

Chicago and Montreal are the only sides of the five linked that have a DP slot available. It’s not certain that Torres would need to fill a DP slot, particularly at 34 years of age. But it will certainly help negotiations having that option.

The Fire are a particularly interesting option, given the fact that Torres played with Chicago head coach Veljko Paunovic during his first spell at Atletico Madrid. The pair spent two seasons together in 2003/04 and 2004/05.

On top of that, Chicago own the discovery rights to Fernando Torres if he does indeed move to MLS, according to league sources. The Fire have opened the 2018 season with just four points from their opening five games. They’ve scored seven goals but could undoubtedly benefit from partnering Torres with 2017 Golden Boot winner Nemanja Nikolic up front.

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PODCAST: Jordan Morris, Fernando Torres to MLS & Leicester

/ Zack Walford / Leave a comment

The usual trio of Zack Walford, Jamie Ives and Louis East sit down to talk MLS and Premier League in the latest MLSGB Podcast.

The team start by discussing Jordan Morris and his chances of success with the Seattle Sounders, before weighing in on Fernando Torres’s current link to Major League Soccer.

They finish up by revisiting Leicester City, as despite all odds, they are now favourites to win the Premier League title with just 13 games to go.

Be sure to comment below or get in touch on Twitter: @MLSGB_

PHOTOS: Exclusive images of new Sounders signing Roman Torres in training

/ Louis East / 1 Comment

The Seattle Sounders have not been anywhere near good enough in recent times, but they are actively trying to change that by shaking up their roster as we approach the final stretch of the regular season.

A new Designated Player has arrive in the form of Nelson Valdez, while Andreas Ivanschitz has further bolstered the attack. Then, today Panamanian centre-back Roman Torres was acquired using Targeted Allocation Money as Seattle look to start climbing back up the Western Conference.

Torres should bolster the Sounders’ backline and his threat from set-pieces will also prove to be valuable. He helped Panama to a third-place finish at the recent CONCACAF Gold Cup and looks a promising signing.

See him in action in Sounders training below, along with some other shots taken by our North American photographer, Denise McCooey.

Seattle Sounders Signing Roman Torres Seattle Sounders Signing Andreas Ivanschitz Seattle Sounders Training Roman Torres Seattle Sounders Training Seattle Sounders Training Obafemi Martins Seattle Sounders Training Roman Torres Lamar Neagle Seattle Sounders Training Clint Dempsey

Former Liverpool goal-machine: ‘Gerrard is the best I’ve played with’

/ Lewis Addley / Leave a comment

Former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has claimed Steven Gerrard is the best player he has ever played with.

The statement from the 31-year-old Spaniard heaps an incredible amount of praise on Gerrard, as he was part of arguably one of the best World Cup and European Championship squads ever, playing with the likes of Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta.

“I would chose him above all if I had to have him in my team, if I had him behind me,” Torres told Marca. “Steven Gerrard is the best player I have played with throughout my career, therefore my ideal player would be very like him.”

Torres has played with some of the highest quality teams and players in Europe but Gerrard is his number one.

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“It is very difficult to choose because I have had the luck to play with a lot of great footballers. For me, the best is and has been Gerrard,”

Gerrard’s Liverpool career is almost over as he braces himself for the move to MLS with LA Galaxy this summer but he could have a fairytale ending with his boyhood club if Liverpool make it through their FA Cup semifinal this weekend.

The former England captain could lead his side out at Wembley in the final, which falls on the same day as his birthday, in his final appearance for the club before heading off to his exciting new challenge where Galaxy fans eagerly await his arrival.

Do you agree with Fernando Torres that Steven Gerrard is the best played he has played with?

Erick Torres heads back to Chivas before possible MLS switch in 6 months

/ Louis East / Leave a comment

Erick “Cubo” Torres has dominated most of the postseason transfer headlines as his stance has been unclear since Chivas USA were disbanded as a club, but his situation looks to be finally resolved… for now.

The 21-year-old Mexican striker has been in talks with Major League Soccer for some time, as the league looked to keep him in the US. And they may have succeeded, but for now he’s going back to parent club Chivas Guadalajara of Liga MX.

Chivas are in a real relegation scrap as they have won just one of their last ten, and have failed to score in three of their last four. Solution – bring back Torres.

He netted 15 goals in 29 games for a poor Chivas USA side last season and will now look to carry that form into Liga MX to keep Chivas in the top-tier of Mexican football.

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That does not mean a move to MLS is dead in the water though as ESPN soccer reporter Tom Marshall indicated on Twitter.

Torres is expected to still make a return to Major League Soccer and will reportedly join up with a new team at the midpoint of the 2015 season.

The next big question then is ‘who is that team going to be?’ Well it seemed like LA Galaxy were frontrunners for his signature for a long time, as Torres himself was keen on a move to the MLS Cup champions, but the Galaxy are not believed to be interested.

They are looking to replace Landon Donovan with a designated player, but are exploring other options. Another rumoured destination for Torres was the Seattle Sounders, but they too are not believed to be chasing the talented young Mexican at this point.

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Last night, it emerged that the Houston Dynamo were in pole position to bring Torres back to MLS as Ives Galarcep reported on Goal.com.

According to the report, the Dynamo were willing to meet a $7.5 million demand for Torres but by sending him back to Chivas for six months, that fee could be lowered significantly.

The Dynamo therefore will be favourites for his signature after he is done on his rescue mission to Mexico.

Torres needs a home after a turbulent few months and a move to Houston would certainly be an intriguing move.

What do make of the Erick Torres situation? Would Houston Dynamo be a good destination?

Erick Torres’s future in MLS no clearer as decision deadline passes

/ Louis East / Leave a comment

Erick “Cubo” Torres is still not definitely returning to Major League Soccer next season. The league have been in communications with his parent club CD Guadalajara for several weeks but no agreement has been reached as yet.

The deadline for a decision on Torres’s future passed yesterday (December 15) but a statement released by MLS revealed that negotiations were still ongoing.

“Over the past several weeks, MLS has been engaged in discussions with Erick Torres and Chivas de Guadalajara regarding the league’s option to acquire his contract. Although no agreement has been concluded, these discussions are continuing.”

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The 21-year-old Mexican striker is expected to sign a designated player contract if he is to remain in MLS and he is believed to be adamant on a move to LA Galaxy if he is to return to play in 2015.

But the problem could be that the Galaxy are exploring all DP options in a bid to replace Landon Donovan with the best available player.

Torres might be that man, but the club’s uncertainty in that sense could be dragging any deal out, as it is the league itself who the former Chivas USA forward must negotiate a contract with.

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Every team in the league will be interested in securing the services of Torres after he scored 15 goals in a very poor Chivas side last season, and if he could agree a contract with MLS he could be sent somewhere via ‘blind allocation’ – the same way Jermaine Jones was sent to New England Revolution.

But if Torres has his heart set on the Galaxy then negotiations will continue to stall until they either fall apart, or the Mexican gets his wish.

A forward line of Torres, Robbie Keane and Gyasi Zardes is a frightening prospect but the MLS Cup champions will not be willing to rush into a decision regarding bringing in another DP.

How important is it that Torres returns to MLS in 2015 – would he be a good signing for the LA Galaxy?

Could an MLS move resurrect Fernando Torres’s career?

/ Lewis Addley / Leave a comment

The once prolific World Cup winning Fernando Torres has been a shadow of his former-self in the past five years.

His loan move away from Chelsea to AC Milan had many predicting he would find his scoring form again, but it hasn’t worked out in Italy for the 30-year-old striker.

With just one goal in ten games, there has been speculation of him being handed back to Chelsea just five months since his two-year loan deal began.

As we know, he is a striker who thrives on confidence and instinct finishing – both have been missing for some time now.

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Major League Soccer could be a good destination for him to once again feel the love of devoted fans.

He can take many things from the David Villa move to New York City FC. Villa was his strike partner during the Spanish domination of international tournaments and his move has seen him become one of the most talked about players in America before he’s even played a game.

Torres can bring so much to a dressing room as well as to younger player in the squad. Despite a tricky spell during his time at Chelsea, he has a track record of success and would prove a move to MLS was the right option if there was any interest.

He scored in a number of big games for the Blues but could never quite find consistency.

Key moments for Torres:

  • 65 goals in 102 Liverpool games – Best strike rate in Liverpool’s history
  • Euro 2008 Final – Winning goal vs Germany
  • World Cup 2010 – Winner with Spain
  • Champions League Semi-Final 2012 – Vital equaliser vs Barcelona after long run
  • Champions League Final 2012 – Winner with Chelsea
  • Euro 2012 – Golden Boot winner and goalscorer in final win vs Italy
  • Europa League 2013 Final – First goal vs Benfica
  • 2013 Confederations Cup – Golden Boot winner

As for a destination, it’s not easy to say where Torres would be best suited. He thrived in his homeland with Atletico Madrid and a move back home will surely be an option.

Throughout the most successful periods of his career, his top scoring form has been while playing as a lone striker with supply coming from all over the field.

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Somewhere like the New England Revolution could be an ideal club, as he would suit their preferred formation of 4-2-3-1 with the likes of Lee Nguyen and Jermaine Jones feeding him constantly throughout the game.

Torres needs a fresh start, away from Europe, and a move to MLS would give him the chance to recapture his star status.

One thing we can be sure of is that people want to see him recapture the form we saw so much at Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and throughout his international career.

Would MLS be a good choice for Fernando Torres?

Erick Torres changes Facebook picture to suggest LA Galaxy move is close

/ Louis East / 1 Comment

Erick “Cubo” Torres has dropped a major hint that he will secure a move to LA Galaxy as he has changed his Facebook profile picture to an image of himself in front of a Galaxy board.

Torres was sensational in Major League Soccer with Chivas USA last season but with Chivas no longer a team, the Mexican striker needs a new club if he is to remain in MLS.

The league have been negotiating a contract with the CD Guadalajara player to keep him in MLS and it looks likely that he’ll be moving to 2014 MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy, to replace Landon Donovan as a designated player.

A move would see Torres play up front with Gyasi Zardes and Robbie Keane in what would be a frightening looking attack force in 2015.

Changing a picture on social media might not seem like much, but in the modern world of social media, hints like this are usually done on purpose.

Will Erick Torres be a good signing for LA Galaxy if he does move?