'A perception‑shattering moment of aggression and dominance'

Fernando Torres was widely regarded as the Premier League's best striker at the time, so Chelsea's 2011 January deadline day move for him felt like an act of both aggression and dominance.

The club threw their weight around by spending a then British transfer record of £50m to sign Liverpool's outstanding player – aside from perhaps Steven Gerrard – at a moment when Liverpool, long past their glory years of the 1980s, nevertheless appeared to be rebuilding.

It underlined how Chelsea, who had previously bid for Gerrard and later Wayne Rooney, were willing to use Roman Abramovich's vast resources to pursue almost any player they wanted.

It was a perception‑shattering moment in terms of what was possible between two of English football's biggest clubs.

However, Torres struggled at Chelsea.

It was my feeling that the damage may have been done at Liverpool as he seemed to play every game under Rafael Benitez with no suitable back-up option in the squad.

His fitness wasn't at a high enough level upon moving to Stamford Bridge and that price tag brought ridicule when he couldn't perform.

I witnessed several poor performances both in person and from afar, yet his goal against Barcelona at the Nou Camp on the way to winning the Champions League in 2012 ensured he remains fondly remembered by the club's supporters.