Reports were aplenty that Chelsea striker Fernando Torres, on loan at Italian side AC Milan, was set to return to the club where he burst into stardom: Atletico Madrid.
While his two-year loan deal was expected to end with a return to the reigning Spanish champions, a transfer twist has taken place.
[RELATED: Torres to Atletico]
Chelsea recently confirmed, through a statement on their official website, that Torres will actually ink a permanent contract with Milan, and it will start on Jan. 5.“Fernando Torres is to join AC Milan on a permanent basis,” the statement reads.
“The striker moved to the San Siro on a two-year loan deal in August and on January 5 he will complete a permanent transfer to the Serie A side.
“Chelsea Football Club thanks Fernando for his service during the past four seasons and wishes him the very best for the future.”
BBC Sport has detailed that the loan to Atletico is still very plausible.
Atletico assistant coach German Burgos said: “He (Torres) will be a very important reinforcement for the second half of the season.”
Torres, 30, came to the Blues in 2011 for a Premier League record transfer fee at that time, £50 million ($77.79 million).
Unable to live up to the hype created from his excellent four-year stint at Liverpool, during which he netted 81 goals in 142 appearances, he headed off to Italy from Chelsea at the end of this summer’s transfer window.