Selling Fernando Torres looks increasingly like Liverpool’s only option if they wish to redress their financial worries and ensure they meet Michel Platini’s criteria for qualifying for the Champions League.
Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea will fall foul of the UEFA president’s new financial restrictions on entrants into European competition if they carry on making losses.
UEFA are currently finalising the regulations which will prevent clubs from making consecutive losses over three seasons.
Details should be revealed in the next few months. Despite the gestures of Roman Abramovich and Sheik Mansour in writing off the debts of Chelsea and Manchester City respectively, all three clubs will have to find huge cutbacks in the next three years if they wish to qualify for the Champions Lleague or Eeuropa in 2012.
Chelsea recorded losses of £44.4million last year, their sixth consecutive year of huge deficit, while Manchester City lost £92m during Sheik Mansour’s first year in charge and next year may even beat Chelsea’s record of £140m from 2005.
Liverpool lost £40.9m in 2008 and selling Torres would bring in a £40m fee.
THIS STORY HAS BEEN PUBLISHED BY THE DAILY MAIL, IS IT MISCHIEF MAKING? LIVERPOOL ACTUALLY RECORDED £8.3M AFTER TAX PROFIT IN 2007-08.
