Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez has refused to rule out the possibility of signing Atletico Madrid's Fernando Torres this summer.
Torres left Atletico for Liverpool in 2007, where he played under Benitez, before returning to Madrid in 2015 and will leave his boyhood club for the second time at the end of the season.
The 34-year-old was a late substitute during Atletico's 3-0 Europa League final win in Lyon on Wednesday night and lifted the trophy, the first he has won with the club.
Newcastle boss Benitez says he is open to re-signing the striker who scored 72 goals in 116 games for him at Liverpool, even though he understands any potential deal would be difficult to complete.
"I think it will be harder for him to come, not because we don't want to," he told Spanish outlet MARCA.
"I don't know what's going on in his head, but maybe he is thinking about something else.
"It would be appealing, but I don't think it would be easy.
"In Liverpool he was sensational. Then we went to Chelsea and, although he had a bad time when he arrived, he was essential for us in winning the Europa League."
Benitez's future at St James' Park is still uncertain, and the Spaniard is 28/1 to be Arsenal's next manager while Zenit are also said to be interested, but Newcastle remain confident of keeping him.
Fernando Torres' next permanent club (via Sky Bet)
Any team in the MLS - 11/10
Rangers - 2/1
Any Chinese Super League club - 11/2
Any Italian club - 6/1
Newcastle - 8/1
Liverpool - 33/1
Click here to see the list in full, along with more transfer specials from the online bookmaker...
🙌 Fernando Torres finally wins a major trophy at Atletico Madrid as he prepares to bid his boyhood club farewell for the second time.
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC) May 16, 2018
👍 Who says never go back?! #UELfinal pic.twitter.com/KelQJhRAuB
Odds correct at 1700 BST on 20/05/18.
