Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has admitted that he is unsure whether Fernando Torres will remain at the club.
Despite the continuing insistence of the Kop boss and chairman Martin Broughton that the Spain international is not for sale at any price, uncertainty has continued to linger over his future with Barcelona and Chelsea understood to be waiting in the wings.
Hodgson met with Torres prior to flying out to Liverpool's pre-season training camp and admits that he would relish the prospect of working with him should he remain at Anfield but hinted that any discontent currently unsettling the striker, 26, dates back to before Hodgson's arrival.
He said: "I haven't spoken to him for the last two days he's been travelling back from Spain where he's been on holiday.
"His holiday has also been taken up a lot of time by discussions with Fernando and his people, so I'm afraid the only the person who can give you the type of details you require is [managing director] Christian Purslow.
"It would be wrong of me to say too much. I made it clear from my point of view that I'm really looking forward to working with him and I believe he's a key, key figure at the club.
"I obviously want him to be a part of the team we're trying to build here and I can only hope he'll buy into what the club is offering him.
"I don't think there are any worries with him in terms of me personally or what we're doing.
"I think the concerns go back once again to the time before I came to the club."
Liverpool suffered a 1-0 defeat in their friendly with Bundesliga outfit Kaiserslauten yesterday.
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shane, jamaica around 1 year, 6 months ago