Chelsea signed £50m Liverpool star in dramatic deadline day transfer that upset Reds fans

Few clubs have endured a transfer deadline day quite as unforgettable and frenzied as Chelsea'sdealings with Liverpool back in January 2011.

The start of the 2010/11 season was a tough one for the defending Premier League champions, as they endured a tough run throughout the winter with few wins. A 1-0 defeat to bottom-placed Wolves was the final straw for manager Carlo Ancelotti, and he put his plan of action into place - sign Fernando Torres.

There had been optimism surrounding Liverpool at the time, given they had handed the reins to club icon Kenny Dalglish, and new owners Fenway Sports Group had recently ousted Tom Hicks and George Gillett as proprietors.

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Yet the positive atmosphere was short-lived as it became apparent that Chelsea were eager to secure Torres, who had become a cult figure among supporters. The Spaniard, who had been a sensation upon his arrival in 2007, scoring 33 times in his maiden campaign, had become increasingly unsettled.

Hamstring problems and knee surgery in 2010 had robbed Torres of his explosive pace, resulting in his performances declining despite bagging 22 goals in 2009/10. The exit of manager Rafa Benitez and the ownership situation had exasperated Torres' faith, despite him stating that his "commitment and loyalty to the club and to the fans is the same as it was on my first day when I signed."

In January, Chelsea made their move with a £40million bid at the tail end of the month. Liverpool swiftly turned down that offer, maintaining their prized forward was not available for purchase.

Twenty-four hours later, Torres submitted a transfer request, which devastated Liverpool supporters. On the final day of the window, Liverpool accepted a colossal £50m offer, establishing a new record for a British transfer and making Torres the sixth most expensive footballer globally at that point.

He signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with the Blues, but the switch to Liverpool's direct Premier League competitors damaged his reputation at the club and led to his jeering in subsequent matches.

Following this move, Liverpool secured the signature of Luis Suarez from Ajax at approximately 9pm on deadline day in a transaction valued at £22.8m, making the Uruguayan the club's priciest signing.

However, they were not satisfied with merely Suarez's arrival, believing they required a Premier League-experienced striker. Their own record was surpassed just a few hours afterwards, with moments remaining before the January 31st deadline, as the Reds completed a remarkable £35m deal to capture Andy Carroll from Newcastle.

"It's a dream to be able to come and play here," said Suarez upon his arrival. "My ambitions for the future are to do my very best for Liverpool, to try to learn more about English football and to become a champion."

In total, more than £100m was splashed out in a single day on three forwards. Within a week, there was a preview of what lay ahead: Suarez found the net on his Liverpool bow against Stoke, Torres endured a difficult first Chelsea outing – a loss, predictably, to Liverpool – whilst Carroll remained on the treatment table with a thigh problem.

Torres, despite netting a vital goal in the build-up to Chelsea's 2012 Champions League final victory, proved largely disappointing in west London, whilst Carroll managed just 11 goals for the Reds before departing for West Ham.

It seemed like Liverpool were the true victors in this frantic deadline day in January, after Suarez became the newest success story at Anfield. The divisive forward netted 82 goals in 133 outings, including 31 in his final campaign, before securing a major transfer to Barcelona in 2014.

Meanwhile, Torres began to find his footing at Chelsea eventually, but he never returned to that stellar form he once had at Liverpool. The Spaniard scored 20 times in 110 appearances for the Blues, winning the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup before heading on a two-year loan to AC Milan and then to Atletico Madrid permanently.