In what has been a whirlwind 48 hours, Chelsea have announced that on-loan striker Fernando Torres will sign a permanent deal with AC Milan on January 5th. Upon the completion of that transfer, the 30-year-old will then be sent to Atletico Madrid for what is believed to be an 18-month long loan.

Part of the reported agreement between Atletico and Milan is that midfielder Alessio Cerci will be sent to Italy as part of an exchange between the two European sides.

According to Sky Sports Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, the technicalities of the double deal mean Torres must first register permanently with AC Milan.

“He [Torres] is going to AC Milan – it will be announced on the 5th of January,” Balague told Sky Sports News HQ. “But around that time it will also be announced that he will be going on loan to Atletico, for perhaps 18 months.”

“The reason why everything is being done this way is that they [Atletico] did not have the money to get Torres transferred but they will have him on loan.”

“AC Milan will be happy to have Cerci on loan. So what is eventually going to be is a swap of loan deals.”

“When he [Torres] left he said ‘I will come back’. For him I think it will help him rediscover his love for football.”

On Christmas Eve, it was first reported in the Spanish media that Torres would be returning to the club where he started his professional career.

Earlier today, Atletico Madrid assistant manager German ‘Mono’ Burgos commented on the imminent arrival of Torres to his boyhood club in Spain.

“It is on the verge of completion and we are waiting for things to firm up,” Burgos said. “He will be a very important reinforcement for the second half of the season. We will get the best out of him, the same as everyone, and he knows where he is coming to.”

It was also reported earlier today that Cerci was holding up the swap-deal because he had refused to join AC Milan. Speculation in the media was the 27-year-old preferred to join the Rossoneri’s rival, Internazionale.

But the Italy international took to his Facebook account to give his side of the story.

“As always, whenever I read news about me, all I see is information which isn’t true,” Cerci wrote. “I haven’t turned anyone down and nor have I signed anything with anyone. I am an Atletico de Madrid player and I am considering the best option for both parties.”

It is now understood that Cerci has cleared the way for a deal to take place by giving his approval on a proposed loan-move to Milan.

Until an official announcement is made from the clubs, it can be expected that both Torres and Cerci won’t be giving any statements to the media regarding their immediate futures.

Torres is currently with AC Milan in Dubai, as the Italian club prepares for its friendly against Real Madrid on December 30th. The striker will train with the rest of his teammates, but will likely not feature in the match against the current European and Club World Cup champions.