Torres extends Atletico deal for an extra year

Madrid (AFP) – Striker Fernando Torres will stay at Atletico Madrid until the end of next season after signing a contract extension, the La Liga club announced on Wednesday.

The former Spain international’s contract had run out, but he will now stay at Atletico until June 30, 2018.

The capital-city side are under a transfer ban, but it has been a successful close-season so far for coach Diego Simeone, having also seen key forward Antoine Griezmann pen a new deal to keep him at the club until 2022.

“I am really happy to continue one more year together,” Torres said on the club’s website.

Torres joined Atletico’s academy at the age of 11, and went on to score 91 goals in 244 games for the senior team from 2001-2007.

He rejoined his boyhood club from Chelsea, where he won the 2012 Champions League title, in 2015 on loan, before signing a permanent contract last summer.

The 33-year-old netted a brace in Atletico’s final match at the Vicente Calderon against Athletic Bilbao in May, ahead of their move to the new Estadio La Peineta for the coming season.

Torres also scored 38 international goals for Spain, winning Euro 2008, when he scored the only goal in the final against Germany, and the 2010 World Cup.