Why Chelsea should sell Fernando Torres to Chelsea

The Daily Mail is reporting that Chelsea will field offers for Fernando Torres in January, exactly one year after they bought him from Liverpool for £50 million, and that all they're asking for him is £20 million and the ability to pay his obese wages. There are plenty of possible destinations for Torres, but the one that appears to make the most sense would be for him to make a shock move to Chelsea. Here are several reasons why.

Chelsea need another striker -- Nicolas Anelka is already gone, Didier Drogba could be leaving in January and Salomon Kalou could follow him out. Even if they both stay, they'll be away from the club for the Africa Cup of Nations. Romelu Lukaku is only 18 and seems to be out of favor. So that just leaves Daniel Sturridge. Another striker is a necessity. Particularly one who is 27, Spanish and already knows where the toilets are.

Shedding that £50 million price tag might be all he needs -- Where Torres plays might not matter that much, so long as it's not with a British transfer fee record hanging around his neck and the expectations of that association looming over him. If Chelsea sell him to Chelsea for a mere £20 million, the consequence of failing doesn't seem quite so colossal and he's not being held on a pedestal above all others. And what's £20 million anymore? It's basically a free transfer. Plus, we know Chelsea can meet his wage demands because, well, they already do.

Make him think he's with a manager who really, really wants him -- When Torres first joined Chelsea, double-winner Carlo Ancelotti was still there. A manager who didn't seem to really want him and only played him to appease Roman Abramovich once his inability to score took hold. He's now been inherited by Andre Villas-Boas, who has relegated the out of form striker to the bench yet again. But if Villas-Boas actively tried to woo him to Chelsea and then bought him for £20 million, maybe Fernando would feel more wanted by his manager. If not, it's probably just a matter of time before Rafa Benitez gets his turn as Chelsea manager, anyway.

The sweet smell of replica shirt sales -- Despite Torres' struggles, he's still a cash cow in the replica shirt business. Only Wayne Rooney sold more replica shirts than Torres last season. For Chelsea to be able to print up a fresh batch of those suckers would make him a worthwhile property to own, even if he continues to ride the bench and not score goals (for a little while at least). Almost like a high cost/even higher reward mascot. You could even change his kit number from "9" to "£" after a while and watch the shirt sales go through the roof.

He's not an A-hole like Carlos Tevez -- Think about Carlos Tevez for a minute, then think about Torres. Not so bad, huh?

Photo: Getty