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AC Milan have set a deadline of Saturday lunchtime to complete the transfer of Chelsea striker Fernando Torres or they will look elsewhere.
The Italian giants are increasingly confident they will reach an agreement with Chelsea for the 30-year-old, but are aware time is of the essence.
They are desperate to sign a new striker before the transfer window closes on Monday night after selling Mario Balotelli to Liverpool for £16m.
AC Milan have also been looking at Liverpool’s Fabio Borini and Tottenham forward Roberto Soldado, but it is Torres they crave.
They initially wanted him on a one-year loan deal only, but Chelsea are looking for a deal that will include the option of him leaving on a permanent basis.
As Standard Sport revealed yesterday, Torres has told AC Milan he wants to move to the San Siro and is ready to end his seven-year spell in English football.
But a financial agreement with Chelsea has still to be agreed and negotiations will step up within the next 24 hours.
Torres’ representative Antonio Sanz has met AC Milan for talks and revealed yesterday that a move is close to fruition.
He said: “The meeting has been positive. Torres at Milan is a possibility. We will take time to reflect before giving an answer. Milan are a great side.”
Chelsea signed Torres from Liverpool in January 2011 for a then British record £50m and offered him a contract worth £175,000-a-week.
Milan want him to take a pay-cut to move to Serie A, while Torres is looking for the two years left on his deal to be paid in full by Chelsea.
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Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who has ignored Torres in the club’s first two League fixtures, is keen for the Spain international to leave and will look to replace him with Roma’s Mattia Destro.
Torres has scored just 20 League goals in three-and-a-half years for Chelsea and a total of 46 in 172 appearances.
He has seen summer signings Diego Costa, who joined from Atletico Madrid for £32m, and free agent Didier Drogba move ahead of him in the pecking order and knows his time in west London is over.
Even if AC Milan falls through, Roma and Atletico Madrid are also ready to make a last ditch move for him.
