LONDON // Fernando Torres, the Spain striker, believes he can finally fulfill his dream of winning the Champions League after completing his move to Chelsea from Liverpool.
The 26-year-old — a Euro 2008 and World Cup winner — sealed his switch to Stamford Bridge on a five-and-a-half-year contract for a reported British record fee of £50 million (Dh294.6m) shortly before the transfer deadline, and is now delighted to call himself a Chelsea player.
"It's the kind of team I like to play against. It's the kind of team I want to play for," he told Chelsea TV.
"It's always very tough to play against Chelsea — one of the biggest teams in Europe, always fighting for everything.
"This is the target for every footballer - to try to play for one of the top clubs in the world and I can do it now. I have to be very, very happy as I am.
"It's my dream to win the Champions League and I'm sure I can, playing for Chelsea. I think all my teammates share that dream with me and hopefully we can."
Torres is relishing the responsibility of testing himself alongside Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, rating the Ivory Coast forward "the best striker in the world by far".
"I am a big fan of all of the Chelsea strikers," the former Atletico Madrid forward said. "When I was very young I remember Anelka was playing for Arsenal. It's the kind of football I like to play.
"Obviously Drogba is the best striker in the world by far. It's a big responsibility for me to play alongside them because the level they have is so high."
The transfer was finally confirmed on Monday evening — three days after the Anfield club turned down the player's transfer request — and he will be available to play against Liverpool on Sunday.
"I am so happy and so proud to be here, finally, after these tough days," he said. "At the of the day I can say I'm a Chelsea player and I'm very, very happy."
Torres admitted it had been tough leaving Liverpool but he is confident he has made the right decision.
"It has been two, three, four very, very hard days for me especially for everything I have leaving Liverpool but I can say I'm a Chelsea player," he said.
"I'm really happy and I'm sure I'm doing one of the biggest steps forward in my career, joining a club like Chelsea.
"I just want to be at the level I'm supposed to stay at. It's a great club with a great responsibility. I'm prepared for the challenge."
