Torres may consider move back to Spain, warns Xavi

Just hours after Fernando Torres scored Liverpool’s winner against West Bromwich Albion, the future of the prolific Spanish striker has once again been thrown into the limelight.

Current Spanish champions Barcelona, who convincingly won their first game of the season on Sunday, are ready to make a move for the World Cup winner as they believe he is tiring of life on Merseyside, according to reports in The Times.

Barcelona playmaker Xavi, who is a close friend of Torres, also believes the 26-year-old could be tempted with a move back to Spain should Liverpool fail to improve this season.

“If Liverpool have another disappointing season, that will be it for him,” said Xavi. “The season before last, Liverpool sold Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid and now this season they have sold Mascherano. Being brutally honest, they haven’t brought any top-class players in to replace the ones they have sold.

“They haven’t tried to improve the squad. ‘Nando’ deserves to be playing with the best players, like he does with Spain. Our coach, Pep Guardiola, is a big admirer of Fernando. If he wanted to leave next summer, I would imagine Barcelona to be very much in the running.”

Torres put Liverpool supporters’ minds at ease earlier in the summer when he committed his immediate future to the Anfield club following reports linking him with a move to both Barcelona and English champions Chelsea.

However the former Atlético Madrid front man is understood to be frustrated that Anfield officials did not take notice of his calls for the addition of four or five top quality players over the course of the summer transfer window, which closes on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are believed to have made an enquiry about West Ham’s Carlton Cole after Roy Hodgson visited Old Trafford to see the striker in action against Manchester United on Saturday.

Cole has been linked with a move to Merseyside throughout the summer, though The Hammers’ asking price and Avram Grant’s reluctance to sell may act as a stumbling block for any deal, which would have to be completed within days.