• Premier League

Benitez claims Reds rejected £70m summer bid for Torres

Rafael Benitez claims Liverpool received a bid of £70m last summer for new Chelsea striker Fernando Torres © Getty Images

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Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez claims the club had the chance to sell Fernando Torres last summer for £70 million.

Torres provoked fury amongst Liverpool supporters when joining Chelsea for £50 million on transfer deadline day and will make his debut for the Blues on Sunday when his former club visit Stamford Bridge.

The striker's spokesman recently revealed he held talks with Chelsea about a summer move before Liverpool vetoed any deal, and now Benitez has revealed a transfer was mooted that would have seen Torres become the second most expensive footballer of all time.

"I think last year we were talking about £70 million," Benitez told the BBC's Football Focus. "People were talking about maybe you receive an offer from another club. They were talking about £70 million."

Off Torres' January move, Benitez added: "He was not playing at the same level the last time, but he is still a very good player. It is big money but could [have been] even better."

Benitez, who departed Inter at the turn of the year after a stormy six months in charge of the European champions, says he would consider returning to Anfield as manager at some point in the future.

The Spaniard was appointed by the club in 2004 and won the Champions League and the FA Cup before losing his job at the end of the 2009-10 season.

"To be manager of Liverpool is a dream for me. This time, I know that Kenny is doing really well. "I have to wait and keep watching games, but if you say to me in the future would you like to be manager, for sure, no doubt about this. When, that is the question. I have to move forward, anyway."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.