Manchester United transfer target Fernando Torres has announced that he will stay at Atletico Madrid.
The 22-year-old striker had been linked with a £20m-plus move to Old Trafford as replacement for Ruud van Nistelrooy.
But he held a press conference in Madrid on Tuesday to say: “I want to stay. If I had wanted to leave Atletico Madrid I would have done it years ago.
“I feel fine here. There has been a lot of discussion about my possible exit but I am here for another year.”
Torres’ representative Antonio Sanz had earlier hinted he would stay when he said: “The player’s intention is to remain at Atletico Madrid.
“Neither us, nor the club, has received an offer from Manchester United, or any other clubs for that matter.”
Torres has been the top scorer in each of the last four seasons for Atletico and is a regular fixture in the Spanish national side.
Atletico were keen to keep their talisman who caught the eye with his impressive performances and three goals during the World Cup.
Sanz added: “Torres has two years left on his contract with Atletico and then we will see what happens.
“After the World Cup, there has been interest from Italian clubs but not from English clubs, and there hasn’t been anything concrete.”
Doubts were raised on the forward’s future when Atletico coach Javier Aguirre told Spanish newspaper Marca that Torres’ destiny at the club remained uncertain.
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