Sir Alex Ferguson's hope of replacing Ruud Van Nistelrooy with Atletico Madrid's Fernando Torres looks to be fading. In a highly irregular display of loyalty from a soccer player in high demand,
Torres has said he plans to honor his contract and remain at Atletico, 10th place finishers in La Liga last season. This too, despite whether Manchester United can cough up the kind of cash required
to buy him out of his contract, which was doubtful to begin with. Last week the Spanish club made Manchester United's $46 million offer look meager after flashing his $76.4 million buyout clause in
their faces. The difference between ask and offer alone is equal to United's valuation of Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy. "The fans haven't heard me say I want to leave," Torres proclaimed. "If I
had wanted to go I could have, because I've had offers... All I want is to stay." It's nice to see players exercise that kind of loyalty during a time when massive transfer fees have made contracts
look like a joke. Players like Steve Gerrard at Liverpool and Thierry Henry at Arsenal are now few and far between.
Read the whole story at Associated Press »
