Torres has been a disaster since his move from Liverpool

Club owner Roman Abramovich has at last conceded that the £50m Torres experiment has been a disastrous failure after more than two years of frustration.

Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala are ready to end the Spaniard’s misery with a bid at the end of the season, but Torres would prefer a move back to his home country – which may yet provide a way for Chelsea to tempt Atletico Madrid’s Falcao to the Bridge.

He has been a long-term target and Chelsea could offer Torres back to his old club as a makeweight in a £10m-a-year deal for the Colombian.

Last night, a source close to Abramovich said: “Roman will now sell Torres – if he can get the right offer.”

Abramovich has stuck loyally by his most costly purchase for all the 26 months that Torres, 28, who signed from Liverpool in January 2011, has been at Chelsea.

But now the owner has conceded that the time has come to cut his losses.