Fernando Torres has returned to boyhood club Atletico Madrid, just two days after agreeing a permanent move to AC Milan.

The Spaniard agreed to make his loan switch from Chelsea to the San Siro a permanent one on December 27, but on Monday was announced as an Atleti player on loan until the summer of 2016.

The move, announced on the website of the Primera Division champions, sets the 30-year-old up for an emotional return to the Vicente Calderon.

A lifelong fan of Los Rojiblancos, Torres did not celebrate when Chelsea scored against Atleti in the Champions League earlier this season and has made his love of the club well known.

"I was not a Liverpool fan or a Chelsea fan in Madrid," he once said. "I was an Atletico fan. I still am. Maybe they're the only badge I will kiss."

Torres scored 91 goals in 244 appearances for Atleti after making his debut as a 17-year-old in 2001.

Liverpool signed him from there and, after thrilling Anfield for the best part of four years, he left for Chelsea in a €64 million switch but the move started a steady decline in his personal fortunes.

Despite winning the FA Cup, Europa League and Champions League, he found goals hard to come by and a return of 45 goals in 172 games, while not prolific, is still not a true reflection of his struggles.

Just 20 of those goals were in the Premier League, scant return compared to the 65 the double European champion and one-time World Cup winner got for Liverpool.

He joined Milan at the start of the season but has continued to labour for goals, netting just once.

A statement from Atleti read: “Fernando Torres returns to Atletico Madrid after an agreement reached by our club with Milan for the international striker to play on loan for the remainder of the season and one more.

“The player will have a medical on January 5. He returns home, where he trained as a player and became one of our biggest stars.”