Fernando Torres: AC Milan sign Chelsea striker on permanent deal
Chelsea and Spain striker Fernando Torres will join AC Milan on a permanent basis on 5 January.
Torres, 30, moved to the Serie A club on a two-year loan deal in August and will now make his move permanent.
BBC Sport understands he will be loaned out to former club Atletico Madrid next month, with Italy winger Alessio Cerci, 27, arriving from the Spanish side.
Torres joined Chelsea from Liverpool for a then British record transfer fee of £50m in January 2011.
The striker helped win the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup while at Chelsea.
In a statement, Chelsea thanked the 2010 World Cup winner for “his service during the past four seasons” and wished him “the very best for the future”.
Biggest transfer fees paid by a British club
£59.7m
Angel Di Maria
Real Madrid to Man Utd
2014
£50m
Fernando Torres
Liverpool to Chelsea
2011
£42.4m
Mesut Ozil
Real Madrid to Arsenal
2013
£38m
Sergio Aguero
Atletico Madrid to Man City
2011
£37.1m
Juan Mata
Chelsea to Man Utd
2014
Torres had been linked with a return to boyhood club Atletico Madrid after the Spanish champions’ president hinted at a deal earlier this month.
Earlier on Saturday, Atletico assistant coach German Burgos also said a deal was “on the verge of completion”.
“He will be a very important reinforcement for the second half of the season,” Diego Simeone’s number two told Spanish media.
Torres left Atletico for Liverpool in 2007.
The stats
Torres cost Liverpool a reported £20m when he signed in 2007 from Atletico Madrid and scored 65 goals in 102 league appearances.
He was a member of Spain’s 2010 World Cup-winning squad.
Despite his record transfer fee, Torres scored just 20 goals for Chelsea in 110 league appearances.
Fernando Torres’s career in goals
Atletico Madrid (2001-07)
214 league appearances, 84 goals
Liverpool (2007-11)
102 league appearances, 65 goals
Chelsea (2011-14)
110 league appearances, 20 goals
AC Milan (2014-present)
10 league appearances, 1 goal
Club total
436 league appearances, 170 goals
Spain (2003-present)
110 appearances, 38 goals
