Who will join Frank Lampard's Blues? Get our daily Chelsea newsletter Sign me up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Fernando Torres is to be offered for free around Premier League clubs this January - only four years after costing a British record £50m.

Milan are seeking to cancel the Spaniard’s two-year loan deal agreed with Chelsea in August.

But Jose Mourinho does not need another striker after signing Diego Costa, Didier Drogba and Loic Remy in the summer.

And Torres’ former club Atletico Madrid have turned down the chance to take him back on loan in a swap deal which would have sent Italy winger Alessio Cerci to the San Siro.

So the ex-Liverpool forward, now 30, is facing the embarrassment of looking for another loan club to continue an injury-blighted career which has struggled ever since his staggering move to Chelsea in January 2011 on a day of deadline deals which saw the arrival of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez at Anfield.

Torres was adored at Liverpool and he scored the winning goal for Spain in a man-of-the-match performance in the Euro 2008 final - and appeared as a sub in the 2010 World Cup final.

Fernando Torres goals in England Opta

But he scored only five Premier League goals for Mourinho last season and was allowed to go out on a free two-year loan which would have taken him to the end of his Blues contract.

Milan are paying his salary of £3.1m a season but the Rossoneri believe they are not getting value for money after Torres found the net only once - against Empoli - in his first 10 Serie A games. Silvio Berlusconi’s club are now interested in taking Arsenal’s Joel Campbell on loan for the rest of the season.

poll loading Will Fernando Torres ever re-find his Liverpool form? 7000+ VOTES SO FAR YES NO

Gallery: Chelsea see off Sporting Lisbon