LIVERPOOL, England (AP) - Chelsea agreed a fee with Liverpool to sign Fernando Torres on Monday in what could be British football's most expensive transfer.
British media say Chelsea will pay about 50 million pounds ($79.5 million) for the Spain striker, who would join a star-studded attacking lineup that includes Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba and former France international Nicolas Anelka.
The fee is similar to the figure paid to Inter Milan by Barcelona for Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2009, and would only be bettered in football history by Real Madrid's purchases of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka in the same year.
"The player has now been given permission to speak to the London club," a Liverpool statement said.
Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez is widely recognized as being the most expensive signing in British football after moving from Man United for about 47 million pounds in 2009.
Liverpool looked set to replace Torres, who has spent 3 1/2 years at Liverpool after his move from Atletico Madrid, with England striker Andy Carroll from Newcastle.
Carroll is on the brink of a 35-million-pound ($56 million) move to Anfield on the final day of Europe's January transfer window. Uruguay forward Luis Suarez joined Liverpool for 26.5 million ($36 million) from Ajax on a 5 1/2-year contract.
Torres, whose contract at Liverpool was due to expire in 2013, has regained some form over the last few weeks after struggling early in the season as he recovered from a groin injury.
Three of his nine goals this season have come in the past four games. Overall, he has struck 81 goals in 142 games for Liverpool.
Torres remained one of the most sought-after players in world football despite a disappointing contribution to Spain's World Cup win in South Africa last year. In 2008, he scored the winning goal in Spain's 1-0 victory over Germany in the European Championship final.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti will have an embarrassment of riches up front if Torres completes his move, but how the Italian coach aligns his team remains to be seen.
Torres appears to be a better long-term option than Drogba, who turns 33 in March and hasn't been as prolific this season as he was when he scored 37 goals for Chelsea last term.
Torres looks to have lost patience with Liverpool after its poor form over the past 18 months. The Reds finished seventh in the Premier League in 2010 and made their worst start to a campaign for 56 years this season.
With the prospects of silverware slim at Liverpool, Torres will be hoping to win trophies at Chelsea, the defending Premier League and FA Cup champions.
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