Over to you, Fernando!

Chelsea's Fernando Torres.

Chelsea's Fernando Torres.

Published May 23, 2012

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Didier Drogba formally announced his decision to leave Chelsea after eight years on Tuesday, then backed Fernando Torres to fill his boots next season.

Drogba, who claimed he would have signed a new deal with the club if they had not lifted the European Cup, said: “They tried hard to keep me, but after eight years of trying to achieve something the feeling is, ‘What next?’

“I told the Big Boss (Roman Abramovich) and he said he understood my feelings and that I have blue blood and will be a Chelsea player for ever. Now it is a new era and Chelsea are in good hands with Fernando. He’ll do the job.

“He’s been through difficult moments, but it took me three years to properly settle – it’s not easy to play here.”

The Ivory Coast striker, 34, has not made a decision on his future, but said he has had offers from Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua, an MLS team and European sides, and will not stay in England. He added: “Who knows, I could come back as manager one day – I’d cut the grass if they asked me to.”

Chelsea look increasingly likely to miss out on signing Lille’s Eden Hazard. Their fall-back could be Sao Paulo’s Brazil midfielder Lucas Moura, 19. The club on Tuesday indicated Chelsea had offered £32.3million and “are the closest team to Lucas”. – Daily Mail

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