There is no doubt that Fernando Torres is one of the best strikers in world football. But there is also no doubt that he has not made enough appearances for Liverpool in last couple of seasons for a club that relies upon his services so much. Transfer fees are at an all time high, with clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester City paying astronomical amounts for new additions to their squads. Would now be a good time for Liverpool to cash in on Torres, and bring in some new blood to what is looking like a stale team?

Rafael Benitez’ reign at Anfield was certainly a mixed bag when it came to transfers, with some inspired, and others utterly hopeless. Fernando Torres was arguably Benitez’ most prominent, and his best signing in his time as manager of Liverpool. In his first season, Torres was absolutely sensational. The Spanish hitman played 46 games for the club and scored an incredible 33 goals, cementing his reputation as one of the most feared hitmen in Europe. Torres had more to his game than just goals though, his terrific pace constantly posed problems for defences in the Premier League and in Europe, and his aerial threat gave Liverpool good options going forward. Torres is the embodiment of the complete centre forward, but his last two seasons with the Reds have not been as fruitful as his first.

The problem for Torres is not his goal-scoring record, which has been consistently excellent, but the fact that injuries have started to have an effect on his career. Last season Torres only managed 22 league appearances, and the fact that he is the only top class striker at Liverpool means this is a major problem for the club. It is a situation mirrored at Arsenal, where Robin van Persie, another hugely talented player, often misses large chunks of the season through injury. Arsene Wenger has tried to remedy this by bringing in Marouane Chamakh over the summer, but at Liverpool, there is a dearth of strikers that can take Fernando Torres’ place. Torres has not enjoyed a great start to this season, and with finances tight at Liverpool, it might be worth considering letting the Spaniard go sooner rather than later.

There would surely be no shortage of suitors. If Liverpool were willing to let him go it might even provoke a bidding war, and a transfer fee in the area of £50 million is not an outlandish figure. Selling Torres would only work if Roy Hodgson was allowed to spend the bulk of the money he received, and if this was the case he would be able to bring in a number of quality players to strengthen what is looking like a relatively weak squad.

A striker or even two could be brought in, Ajax’s Luis Suarez could well be worth a look at, and another centre-back would not go amiss. A top class winger too, would be a worthy acquisition for Liverpool. If Hodgson received a fee in the region of £50 million, he would be able to buy three or four top class footballers, and that would surely make Liverpool stronger than their current status, albeit without Fernando Torres in the equation.

No one would dispute that Torres is one of the worlds best centre forwards. But his injury problems are a major issue for Liverpool, and the squad definitely needs strengthening. In the current financial state of the club, selling Torres might be the only way to achieve this. Liverpool fans would be upset to see a player who has become a hero for them go, but in the long term, it might just prove the best course of action the club can take.

If you liked this article please follow me on Twitter. Subscribe to my RSS feed.