There have been several rumors surrounding Arsenal as the summer transfer window starts to kick into overdrive. Some of them are believable, while other are just plain ridiculous.
Cue the latest round of reports. Arsene Wenger is reportedly planning to hijack Barcelona's bid for Chelsea striker Fernando Torres, according to SportsDirect News.
Torres has been maligned ever since making a £50 million ($78.5 million) move from Liverpool to Chelsea in January 2011, with the Spanish international never even remotely showing the glorious goalscoring touch he had at Anfield.
Due to the lack of form shown by Torres at Chelsea, speculation has been rife over a summer move away for the 29-year-old.
Jose Mourinho recently admitted he would make a decision on Torres' future only after holding face-to-face talks with the forward.
However, with Chelsea reportedly preparing bids for the likes of Edinson Cavani and Hulk, it is looking increasingly likely that the Spaniard's time at Stamford Bridge might be up.
Barcelona are ready to offer Torres a lifeline with the Spanish giants reportedly lining up a £17 million ($27 million) bid, a story which was backed up by Spanish-based journalist Graham Hunter.
"Every time Torres played for Atletico Madrid against them he scored and terrorised them at Camp Nou," Hunter told Sky Sports when asked about Barcelona's interest. "He also scored for Chelsea when they were knocked out of the Champions League.
"He is patently full of vim and vigor after an initial difficult time at Chelsea. The Barca president has long coveted him and once advised his board to bid for Torres.
"They believe there may be movement at Chelsea and that new coach Jose Mourinho will try to bring in different strikers and that Torres may become available.
"The truth of it is that Barca are saying they are ready to move for him and they are assessing their resources and it is a story that may evolve over the coming weeks."
Torres found some decent form last season, under favorite manager Rafa Benitez, scoring 23 goals in all competitions, although quite a few of them came in the Europa League.
Wenger was interested in signing the striker way back in 2007, before he made a move to Liverpool, and the Arsenal manager is still reportedly interested in bringing Torres to the Emirates.
"The boss loves Torres. He knows how good he can be, and a deal could come off," an Arsenal source told SportsDirect News.
"Chelsea are looking at strikers, Fernando has become surplus to requirements and Arsene is ready to pounce."
Torres is clearly past his best, with his searing pace coming down with every passing season. While he is a willing worker and still a decent finisher, he is not exactly what Arsenal need to make a statement ahead of next season.
Arsenal have been linked with the likes of Gonzalo Higuain, Robert Lewandowski, David Villa, Wayne Rooney and Stevan Jovetic, and while Torres could yet fit in at Arsenal, making a move for the Spaniard instead of the above mentioned players, will be seen as a step down, particularly with the amount of money that Wenger has available this summer.
