Torres wanted to join Chelsea since last summer

London, Feb 2 (ANI): Fernando Torres' right hand man has said the ace striker wanted to join Chelsea since last summer.

Torres' spokesman Antonio Sanz revealed that the striker wanted to join Chelsea in a 35 million pounds switch in July when Chelsea had made a formal offer.

He, however, was forced to stay after Liverpool promised him a huge investment, The Sun reports.

Torres put in the transfer request after Chelsea made a 40 million pounds offer last Wednesday, by which point he had decided to quit Anfield at all costs.

Speaking to the Cope radio station, Sanz said: "Yes Chelsea tried to get him last summer. The Liverpool directors said the club was in the process of being sold. They said Fernando should respect a delicate moment in the history of Liverpool."

"They told him things would change and the new owners who would come in were going to invest. They were promises that were not fulfilled. The first meeting we had with the people of Chelsea was in July. Last week, they told us that Roman Abramovich had decided to go for Fernando," he said.

"There were difficult moments. The first thing was Liverpool asked us for maximum discretion as they were finishing the signing of Luis Suarez. They feared that if the sale of Fernando leaked out they would have to pay more money to Ajax. So we respected their wishes and waited until we put in a transfer request," Sanz added. (ANI)