Torres: Football’s Mercenary

The deadline day of this year’s January transfer window was easily the most frantic, chaotic and utterly bizarre day in the absurd world of football transfer dealings since Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez joined West Ham in 2006, minutes before the window closed. After Manchester City’s millions had created an artificial market in which clubs were able to demand outrageous prices for players, such as Blackpool’s laughable request for £14 million to secure the services of Charlie Adam, it was always going to be an interesting window. However, few could have foreseen the events of deadline day. Fernando Torres was able to engineer his £50 million transfer to Chelsea after only seeing fit to inform Liverpool of his desire to leave three days earlier. This sparked a crazed scramble for a replacement from the Merseysiders, which culminated with Andy Carroll inexplicably becoming the most expensive British footballer in history following his £35 million transfer from Newcastle. However, the ridiculous, over-inflated price of players in the modern market is not the most concerning issue highlighted by this year’s transfer activity; it is the sheer lack of respect and complete ignorance of the modern day footballer.

Fernando Torres’ transfer to Chelsea was handled in completely the wrong way, with the player himself seemingly to blame. Firstly, it is difficult to find any sense in the timing of his move. Kenny Dalglish’s appointment, replacing the inept Roy Hodgson, has steadied the sinking ship that was Liverpool Football Club. After a shaky start, the man the Kop call their king has re-invigorated his underperforming side, and has enjoyed three successive victories. Torres himself looked to be the one who had benefitted most from Dalglish’s attacking philosophy; he was scoring goals again and was looking like a different player from the forlorn figure who struggled under Hodgson. After three years of boardroom turmoil, the club finally has stable owners, who were preparing to show their intent to make the club a force again with the capture of World Cup star Luis Suarez. What’s more, Torres’ form since winning the World Cup with Spain has been woeful, and it could be suggested that he owed the fans who had backed him unwaveringly at least half a season more of the real Fernando Torres, the man they worshipped. Instead he chose to leave behind a rejuvenated squad, a new, attack minded manager, and the fans who had idolised him since the day he arrived. What makes this all the more painful for Liverpool fans is the fact that he joined one of their biggest rivals, seemingly forgetting the fact that Liverpool were apparently his boyhood club, a club which he loved so much that he would find it impossible to play for any other English team, as he had persistently reminded the fans. As if this wasn’t enough, to have the sheer audacity to wait until three days before the window shut to request his transfer adds to the growing sense that modern footballers inhabit a different planet to us. Surely he realised that the club would end up paying an inflated price for a replacement, as opponents took advantage of their desperation to replace him. The sulking Spaniard would do well to observe a lesson in class from other player to depart Liverpool this window, Ryan Babel. Despite enjoying neither the same level of success nor fan support as Torres, Babel tweeted a goodbye message thanking the fans for their backing and apologising for the fact that his time at Anfield was not more successful.

It has been suggested that Liverpool fans are hypocritical in their criticism of Torres, that their new star striker, Carroll, is equally as guilty as Torres in showing a lack of loyalty. However the fundamental moral difference remains in the fact that Torres engineered his move away from the club. He paid no regard to the fact that the club would struggle to replace him at such short notice, to the fact that he had made no attempt to say goodbye to the fans, or to the fact that he was joining a hated rival. Carroll, on the other hand, was almost forced into a move away from his boyhood club by the fact that Newcastle simply could not turn down such an amount of money. Recent accusations in the media by both player and club are conflicted, and it can be deduced that Carroll was unhappy at leaving, but that Newcastle were reluctantly forced to sell for financial reasons.

Torres, then, is just another example of the modern ‘mercenary’ footballer. It comes as no surprise that Mascherano has been quick to defend Torres following the move, after he himself left in similar circumstances six months ago. The deluded Mascherano complained in the press that when he left the club “it looked as if I killed someone” complaining that he doesn’t understand why players like himself and Torres are condemned for wanting to further their career. This emphasises the fact that modern footballer’s do not understand that fans do not begrudge them a move away from their club, but take issue when the player deals with the transfer in the same manner as a stubborn child. Mascherano went on strike, refusing to play for Liverpool, and therefore refusing to honour his contract, in order to force through his move to Barcelona. There seems to be a recurring pattern of players with this mercenary attitude heading to Stamford Bridge. Think back to the alleged ‘tapping up’ of Ashley Cole before the England full-back forced through his move from Arsenal, or John Obi Mikel’s disgraceful claims that he was intimidated into signing a contract with Manchester United, again in order to force through a move to Chelsea.

Perhaps the biggest insult of Torres’ move is his comments upon arriving at Chelsea. In an interview with Sky Sports, he claimed that he was happy to have moved to a club which could match his ambitions. It would perhaps have been advisable for ‘El Nino’ to assess Chelsea’s current position before his move, although it is entirely possible that he was blinded by the huge dollar signs appearing before his eyes. Chelsea sit fourth in the league, in dreadful form of late, with an ageing team being exposed again and again. Torres stated that he was happy to be linking up with top class players such as Drogba, Lampard and Anelka, players who are all the wrong side of thirty and perhaps have two years left in them at best. Liverpool, on the other hand, have come through their own crisis and appear to be building what could, in a couple of years, be a title challenging team. Fans of The Reds will be comforted by the memory of the last striker to break their hearts after being tempted away from Anfield, Michael Owen, who was subsequently left to rot at Newcastle and in Manchester United’s treatment room. Owen’s decision to sign for Manchester United perfectly illustrates the mindset of the mercenary footballer, who does not think twice about signing for the sworn enemy of the club that raised him and turned him into a star. Owen found out that the grass is not always greener on the other side, and, if the wishes of Liverpool fans come true, Fernando Torres will suffer a similar fate.