Soccer:Fernando Torres' agent has assured Liverpool fans the Spain striker "will continue at Liverpool next season". But defender Fabio Aurelio has turned down the offer of a new pay-as-you-play deal and will leave the club next week, manager Rafael Benitez has confirmed.
Speculation has suggested many of Europe’s most powerful clubs have been circling the prolific forward, with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid strongly linked with the striker.
However, despite Liverpool’s disappointing seventh-placed finish in the Barclays Premier League, Torres’ agent Jose Antonio Peton told a Spanish radio station: “For the moment I can assure fans that Fernando will continue at Liverpool next season.
“Everything is down to Liverpool’s attitude but for the time being Fernando is happy at the club and has a good contract. Liverpool have not spoken to us about his future, so he is just concentrating on playing at the World Cup.”
Aurelio Anfield career has been littered with injuries and his final year was indicative of that. He missed the start of the campaign after sustaining a freak knee problem while playing football with his children and a thigh problem at the end of February prematurely ended his season.
Because of his fitness record the club offered the 30-year-old a flexible deal based on the matches he played but Aurelio wanted the security of a more permanent arrangement and has chosen to end his four-year stay at Anfield.
“Fabio’s contract is nearly finished and he is going to leave us,” said Benitez. “We had been trying to work something out with regards an extension but it was a pity that we couldn’t. He has given us absolutely fantastic service. The one problem we had with Fabio was that he suffered too many injuries and it was such a pity because he has great quality.”
Aurelio’s absence placed additional pressure on 21-year-old left-back Emiliano Insua as there were times when Benitez wanted to rest the player but had no other back up and, as a result, the Argentinian played 44 matches before he too succumbed to injury late in the season.