Transfer speculation over Liverpool's Torres worries Spain coach Aragones - Sport - Evening Standard
       

Transfer speculation over Liverpool's Torres worries Spain coach Aragones

Spain coach Luis Aragones said on Tuesday he was concerned the side's preparations for Euro 2008 would be disrupted by the transfer speculation surrounding some of his key players.


The rumour mill has linked all three of his strikers - Fernando Torres, David Villa and the Primera Liga's leading scorer last season Daniel Guiza - with possible high-profile moves.   

Liverpool's Torres is reportedly the subject of a multi-million euro bid from Chelsea, Valencia's Villa is a supposed target for Real Madrid and Tottenham, and Real Mallorca's Guiza has been connected with Barcelona and the Premier League.

Chased: Fernando Torres, right, escapes Italy's De Rossi in a friendly in March 2008

Chased: Fernando Torres, right, escapes Italy's De Rossi in a friendly in March 2008

"It's a worry, because it isn't only Fernando (Torres). There are other players as well. We are going to have to talk about this theme,"

Aragones told radio station Onda Cero on Tuesday.  

"Either they do it quickly, or forget all about it. But it is a difficult thing to forget about."

The Spain squad gathered in Madrid on Monday to start their preparations and local media were quick to pose questions on the players' futures, as they walked past waiting reporters.    

Along with the strikers, midfielders Ruben de la Red, who spent last season on loan with Getafe from Real Madrid, and Liverpool's Xabi Alonso are being linked with a change of club, according to the press. 
 

Real Zaragoza's relegation to the second division, and Valencia's failure to make the Champions League has made forwards Sergio Garcia and David Silva tempting targets.    

Aragones will have to wait and see how fitness tests on Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta and Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas go before having all 23 players available for his first training session on Tuesday afternoon.    

Iniesta finished the league season with a knee injury, while Fabregas had a muscle complaint in the lower back.   

Spain's first warm-up friendly is against Peru in Huelva on Saturday. 

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