Torres dismisses Chelsea talks but won't commit to Liverpool yet

Fernando Torres wants evidence that Liverpool is moving in the right direction before committing his long term future to the club.

The Spanish hit-man took time out of his preparations for the World Cup semi final to address suggestions that he has been in talks with Chelsea.

Torres dismissed the idea, but did admit that he would need talks over what progress the club is making off the field.

Some reports have suggested Chelsea have already made a bid for the striker, but they are wide of the mark with Liverpool dismissing the idea out of hand yesterday.

Yet the speculation is likely to be a prelude to concerted efforts by the London club and Barcelona to prise Torres out of Anfield.

Yesterday though, the Reds centre forward insisted that he wants to get the World Cup out of the way, and go on his first holiday in three years, before sitting down to listen to Liverpool plans for the future.

"When the World Cup finishes I will speak to the people at Liverpool - they will explain to me the real situation of how things are at present, the future of the club, and I will talk to the new coach," he said.

"There's time for that, but first I want to finish the World Cup, go on holiday, as I haven't had one for three years, rest and then there will be time to talk about all of that.

"The situation isn't going to change whether we talk soon or later. Honestly, teams won't be able to do anything until the World Cup has finished. The players here prefer to wait - there is time."

Liverpool are adamant that they do not want to sell Torres, and they have insisted they have no financial need to cash in on the striker.

So far, there have been no bids, and two things would have to happen for any sale to proceed. The player himself would have to demand a transfer, and the fee would need to justify any sale, as Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Madrid did last summer.

There were some suggestions that Torres will speak to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in South Africa, but that is sheer fantasy given that the Spanish camp is in lock-down as they attempt to win the World Cup.

Abramovich is in fact in South Africa as part of Russia's 2018 World Cup bid, though Liverpool are bracing themselves for the billionaire to back a serious attempt to sign Torres.

New manager Roy Hodgson has already spoken to his star striker, and will travel to Spain for a meeting before the 26 year old jets away on his much-needed holiday.

Club officials are hoping they can show Torres that a takeover deal is imminent, which will turn around the club's financial fortunes, and restore them as a leading player in European football.