Chelsea’s capture of Fernando Torres for a reported £50 million has sent a tremor throughout the Premier League and instantly reinstated Carlo Ancelotti’s side as title contenders. They have ground to make up, but in Torres Chelsea have a genuine world class striker who has little to prove on the Premier League stage. A thoroughbred goalscorer, Torres can unquestionably make the difference and revive Chelsea’s fortunes following an alarming mid-season slump.

Fantasy Managers are left feeling a lot less secure about it all. Torres has remained on the periphery of our thinking for the majority of the season and has only recently blinked on the radar as a result of Liverpool’s double Gameweeks. Now we’re forced to reassess the potential of Torres, whilst examining how his arrival at Chelsea could impact on his new team-mates.

The Statistics

The big question will be whether Torres in blue is a stronger proposition than Torres in red. Given his record at Anfield (65 goals in 102 appearances), the Spaniard has a lot to live up to in a Chelsea shirt.

When fit and firing, Torres is a monster – a goalscorer that few can rival. In 29 league starts in his first season, Torres struck a staggering 24 goals. He followed that up with 14 goals in a season blighted by injury that limited him to just 20 starts in the league. It was a similar tale in 2009/10 when Torres again started on 20 occasions, scoring 18 league goals in the process. This season Torres’ statistics have epitomised Liverpool’s season – a return of 9 goals in 22 starts is disappointing. Liverpool have struggled to find fluidity and provide a regular supply to Torres who has himself, had his fitness called into question.

Opinion…

Andy

“My favourite Premier League striker + reigning Champions = A dream come true. At least in theory, so why am I not -in purely fantasy footballing terms- drooling all over this?

Maybe it’s because Chelsea already have another circa £12m FPL striker. When Ancelotti’s side have good fixtures and after seeing how he settles in, I would, of course, buy Torres over Drogba but I’m certainly not in any hurry. In fact, for now, I’m pretty sure I’ll be shifting him out of my squad.”

The Prospects

There are certainly plenty of doubts concerning how Carlo Ancelotti will slot Torres into the Chelsea lineup – the current 4-3-3 system will presumably be scrapped in favour of a more conventional 4-4-2, unless of course Ancelotti is planning for heavy rotation of his strikers. Didier Drogba’s form following his contraction of malaria has been under scrutiny, with the Ivorian freely admitting that he has struggled to shake off the after effects of the illness. A return of 9 goals (his goal at Blackpool has since been allocated as an OG) and 9 assists in 20 appearances is vastly disappointing by Drogba’s standards and, despite the wonder goal at the Reebok last time out, Ancelotti may still have concerns over his striker’s sharpness and powers of recovery. It’s a distinct possibility that Torres may well rotate with Drogba over the coming weeks then.

A dream ticket partnership of Drogba and Torres would of course be the ideal scenario for Fantasy Managers and, should that materialise, we would expect Torres to flourish and have a chance of maintaining his strong Premier League scoring record. Liverpool’s faltering season and long-term lack of width may even see an upturn in fortunes for Torres, if Ancelotti hands him regular starts and Chelsea begin to provide him with a good level of service.

That is far from assured. Chelsea have also suffered a decline and have only just begun to display shoots of recovery after a stunning opening period to the season. The arrival of Torres and the switch to a 4-4-2 would see a significant change in system and possibly Chelsea’s style of play; that could lead to a period of adjustment both for Torres and his new team-mates.

A diamond formation, with Mikel or Ramires holding and Michael Essien and Florent Malouda either side and Frank Lampard at the point would certainly appear to be the most likely midfield setup in a 4-4-2; that would allow both Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa to continue their frequent forays forward. Drogba and Torres would likely lead the attack in the main, with Anelka available to rotate for either of that pairing. That looks solid and potent in equal measure, but it’s a clear departure from the current 4-3-3 in which Anelka and Malouda/Kalou are used to flank Drogba as the focal point of the attack. Now, we must presume that Torres will be that key figure. The effect on Lampard and the regularity of his bursts into the penalty area, will require monitoring.

There are lots of variables to consider; unknown factors that will leave Fantasy Managers uneasy about the prospect of investing in the Torres, particularly at an FPL price of 11.9. Certainly we will need time to assess the impact of this staggering transfer deadline day; to monitor how Torres fits in and how Ancelotti is likely to deploy him within his current setup.

Right now we have little or nothing to go on. Torres will not play a part in Chelsea’s trip to Sunderland this evening, so Torres should make his debut against Liverpool at the weekend. The script is laid out then – Sunday’s encounter will be a fascinating prospect for Torres’ Fantasy owners and his doubters alike, and an uncomfortable one for Liverpool fans.