Blues reportedly make £40 million offer for Spanish striker

According to reports in the Daily Mail, Chelsea have made a formal bid for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres.

The Spaniard, currently on international duty at the 2010 World Cup with Spain, is according to his agent keen to stay in England, but it appears that he could be set to switch Liverpool for London, with Blues owner Roman Abramovich keen to make Torres his major summer signing.

The Mail reports:

'New Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has already admitted he can offer no guarantee that either Torres or skipper Steven Gerrard will be at Anfield next season. And given Liverpool's precarious financial situation, a concerted effort to sign Torres by Chelsea is likely to prove impossible to resist,'

Manchester City are also believed to be monitoring the striker’s situation, with The Telegraph claiming:

'both Chelsea and City have been led to believe that he wants to leave this summer.'

SkyBet make it 6/4 that Torres will join Manchester City this summer and 5/2 that he will be a Chelsea player by the end of the transfer window.