football

Liverpool football club manager Rafael Benitez (L) welcomes former Athletico Madrid footballer Fernando Torres to Anfield, in Liverpool, 04 July 2007. Liverpool captain Stephen Gerrard says the arrival of Torres is a sign that the Reds are at last ready to challenge Manchester United and Chelsea for Premiership honours.
Liverpool captain Stephen Gerrard says the arrival of Fernando Torres is a sign that the Reds are at last ready to challenge Manchester United and Chelsea for Premiership honours.
The Atletico Madrid striker agreed a six-year contract last week after a club-record 20 million pound move from Spain with manager Rafael Benitez hoping the 23-year-old will provide the weight of goals needed to challenge for the league title.
Liverpool have not won the championship since 1990 but Gerrard believes the arrival of Torres will have made rivals Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal sit up and take notice.
"I'll bet players and fans from other clubs have been looking at us and thinking: Aye, aye, Liverpool are making a move for some of the big boys now'," said the England midfielder.
"Since I've been in the first team I can't remember us making such a major statement of intent in the transfer market as this.
"In recent years it's only really been Manchester United and Chelsea buying players around the 20m mark, so it's great to see us able to compete for players of that kind of value.
"The Liverpool board has always backed the manager and we've invested heavily over the years.
"Roy Evans and Gerard Houllier spent a lot of money, but we've all been looking to that extra step to close the gap and attract the kind of players United and Chelsea would be able to afford.
"This is the first summer in a long time we've been able to do that."
Gerrard is looking forward to playing alongside Torres but with the Reds linked with a number of other players, including Holland Under-21 and Ajax forward Ryan Babel, the Reds captain is optimistic ahead of the new season.
"Not only is Torres a great player now, potentially he's all the attributes to become firmly established as world class. He's at the right club and will be working with the right people to make that happen," Gerrard told the Liverpool Echo.
"I've never played against him, but I've watched him a lot. I really like him and I'm sure he will prove a great signing for us.
"He's a fast, strong centre forward who likes the ball being played into his feet.
"They are the kind of strikers I love playing with. I've no doubt we're going to get our money's worth out of him, with him being such a young player.
"Some of the other players we're being linked with excite me too. It's great to see us looking at young, hungry players with their best years ahead of them."
One of those players is the 20-year-old Babel. Liverpool are likely to return to Ajax with an improved offer after their reported 10million bid was rebuffed.

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