Chelsea Transfer Rumor: Blues Set to be Offered £25M for Flop Striker?

Nouveau rich Spanish La Liga club Malaga is reportedly set to offer English Premier League club a hefty sum to take off-form striker Fernando Torres off their hands.

The big spending Andulasian side, which has strong financial backing from a member of the Qatari royal family, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nassar Al-Thani, is looking to make a high-profile signing in an attempt to push the side towards a top four finish in the Spanish league.

Malaga has had a relatively average start to the current season, despite manager Manuel Pellegrini hoping that a raft of new signings made over the summer, could help push the La Rosaleda side higher up the table. The club is currently seventh, five points behind Levante, who are in fourth.

The side has now set its sights on Chelsea's struggling Spanish hitman; this is despite the club having dismissed rumors that Torres was set to leave the club. However, it is possible that Torres himself would want to leave Stamford Bridge, particularly if he felt wasn't getting enough chances to play in the first team.

The player has made just six appearances for the Blues this season, the last being in October against Arsenal. Moreover, the player needs to see more first team football if stands any chance of featuring in Vicente del Bosque's Spanish national squad for the 2012 European Championships next summer.

Torres, with the likes of Didier Drogba, Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge all ahead of him in the Blues pecking order, may feel a return to Spain could help him find his lost form and with heavyweights Barcelona and Real Madrid not interested, Malaga may be the only destination left.

Malaga, on the other hand, has faced something of a goal drought this season and has managed just 20 in 16 matches. The club did sign Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy in the summer but the player has struggled with poor form and injuries. He has managed just two goals thus far. Similarly, Venezuelan international Jose Rondon has also failed to recapture the form of last term, netting just twice in 13 matches.

Malaga is said to have offered Chelsea as much as £25 million for the player, according to a Caughtoffside report.