London: Liverpool's hold on Fernando Torres may be slipping on Monday with the Spain striker reported to be on the way to Chelsea on the final day of Europe's January transfer window — in what could be English football's most expensive ever transfer.
Torres left Liverpool's training ground on Monday with British media reporting that Chelsea is prepared to pay 50 million pounds ( $ 79.5 million) for the Spain striker.
But Liverpool doesn't plan on banking a transfer fee exceeded in world football only by Real Madrid's 2009 purchases of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka.
Liverpool said it expected to complete the signing of Uruguay forward Luis Suarez from Ajax for € 26.5 million ( $ 36 million) and was widely reported by British media to have had a 35-million-pound offer for England international Andy Carroll accepted by Newcastle.
That fee would beat the record for a transfer between two English clubs — currently the 29.1 million pounds (then $ 44.5 million) that Manchester United paid Leeds in 2002 for defender Rio Ferdinand — and would be remarkable for a man who has played only 19 times in the Premier League.
"We're going to look after ourselves first and foremost," Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish said. "Is that not the same in any business? If someone's going to go you've got to have a replacement.
"There is as good a chance of us getting someone else in as there is someone going out."
Liverpool turned down Torres' request to leave the team he joined for a club-record 20.3 million pounds (then $ 40.6 million) from Atletico Madrid in 2007.
Torres, who is contracted until 2013, is one of the most sought-after players in world football despite a disappointing contribution to Spain's World Cup win last year. He scored the winning goal in Spain's 2008 European Championship win over Germany and has struck 81 goals in 142 games for Liverpool.
Argentina striker Carlos Tevez is widely recognized as the most expensive player in English football. Manchester City has never confirmed the cost of his 2009 transfer, which has since been reported as costing about 47 million pounds.
Suarez passed a medical examination and is on course to complete his €26.5 million ($36 million) transfer, while Liverpool has allowed defender Paul Konchesky to join second-tier Nottingham Forest on loan. Daniel Ayala has been loaned to Derby by the Reds.
It doesn't look like Sergio Aguero will be appearing on a list of record transfers any time soon after the Argentina star signed a new contract with Atletico Madrid, ending Tottenham's hopes of signing him.
United States midfielder Michael Bradley was undergoing a medical examination with Aston Villa, with the 23-year-old son of U.S. coach Bob Bradley set to join the central England club on loan until the end of the season from Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Villa has already signed Darren Bent, Jean Makoun and on-loan Kyle Walker during the January transfer window.
Wolfsburg started spending some of the money Manchester City paid for Edin Dzeko this month when it signed South Korea international Koo Ja-choel from Jeju United and teenager Yohandry Orozco from Venezuelan club FC Zulia.
The Bundesliga club said Koo, the leading scorer at January's Asian Cup with five goals, agreed a 3½-year contract and Orozco a 4½-year deal.
"They are two versatile midfield players with very promising futures," Wolfsburg's business manager Dieter Hoeness said.
Stoke forward Tuncay Sanli may also join Wolfsburg after the Turkey forward said on his website that he had traveled to Germany for contract negotiations.
Loan moves were common across Europe as teams sought value and a close look at players before deciding whether to sign them permanently at the end of the season.
Brazil striker Andre joined Bordeaux from Dynamo Kiev on a six-month loan, while Slavia Prague's Czech Republic midfielder Adam Hlousek was set to join Kaiserslautern on loan.
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