Football January 29

Football | FA Cup Time Match

12:30 Everton vs Chelsea

12:50 Swansea City vs Leyton Orient

13:00 Aston Villa vs Blackburn Rovers

15:00 Torquay United vs Crawley Town

15:00 Watford vs Brighton and Hove Albion

15:00 Bolton Wanderers vs Wigan Athletic

15:00 Burnley vs Burton Albion

15:00 Birmingham City vs Coventry City

15:00 Stevenage Football Club vs Reading

15:00 Sheffield Wednesday vs Hereford United

17:15 Southampton vs Manchester United

Football | Championship Time Match

15:00 Hull City vs Queens Park Rangers

15:00 Crystal Palace vs Norwich City

15:00 Scunthorpe United vs Preston North End


Having turned out for Benfica in the group stages, David Luiz, Chelsea's other January target, would not be able to play for the Blues in Europe were they to sign him. Torres, on the other hand, could be straight in the team against FC Copenhagen.

Which, you would think, would give the club a better chance of progress than if the choice of striker lay between Daniel Sturridge and Salomon Kalou.

There is, of course, just one problem: Liverpool are more likely to ban the singing of You'll Never Walk Alone within Anfield than they are to happily sanction the sale of their prize asset. Imagine what a signal it would send out from the new American ownership were they to let Torres go on the basis that every man has his price.

Their careful wooing of their customer base, a process which began with the installation of Kenny Dalglish as manager, would be blown out of the water. They would be reviled as no better than their predecessors: for Henry and Werner, read the new Hicks and Gillett.

Besides, if the Americans want to develop the business as they insist they do, Torres is vital. The gradual return to his former potency that has been witnessed under Dalglish's upbeat tutelage can be the seen as the start of the restoration of the club to its rightful position, if not of prominence, then at least challenging on the pitch. To put in terms every American investor will understand, Liverpool need Torres in order to develop their business.