Atleti Plan Send Off for Fernando Torres As Spanish Football Expert Reveals Why He Needs to Leave

Atletico Madrid will give club legend Fernando Torres a deserved and emotional send off in his farewell appearance at the end of this season.

The striker revealed on Monday that he will leave Wanda Metropolitano when his contract expires at the end of June, and Marca has reported that Atleti will provide him with a fitting send off as he heads off to pastures new.

Atletico face Eibar on home soil in their final game of La Liga's 2017/18 campaign, and it is this game that will see Los Rojiblancos give Torres a reception he deserves for his services to them.

Denis Doyle/GettyImages

Club president Enrique Cerezo was quoted by the Spanish paper as he opened up about the 'legend of our club' and explained why there would always be a spot in the Spanish capital for one of their most loved sons.

He said: "If he wants to continue his professional footballing career next season in another place we can only thank him for all he has given us, which is a lot, and tell him that the doors of Atletico Madrid will always be open to him when he decides to put an end to his career as a player.

"Fernando Torres deserves the best of goodbyes as an Atletico Madrid player and that's why I'm sure our fans will join us for a special day.

"We are already working on making it an unforgettable day for the Atletico family and especially for Fernando."

Meanwhile, football journalist Guillem Balague has told Sky Sports that he expects the 33-year-old to head to America or China to see out the final years of his career.

Torres is believed to be mulling over a number of offers from interested clubs, and Balague thinks that the ex-Spain international will try his hand in either the MLS or Super League before he hangs up his boots, and Balague revealed why the veteran goalscorer needed to leave to play regular football before that inevitability occurs.

(You may also be interested in Club Legend Fernando Torres Confirms He Will Leave Atletico Madrid This Summer)

He said: "There's two reasons he's had to go. Number one, quite clearly Diego Simeone wasn't going to fight for him to stay. He wanted to retire at Atletico Madrid but that hasn't been possible. When Simeone was recently asked if he would do anything to keep Torres in the team he said 'no'.

"Number two, little by little there were more people debating who the real myth at Atletico Madrid is; Torres or Simeone. It divided opinion a little bit but Torres didn't want to get involved in that debate and so it's time to move on.

"Of course he says he wants to play for another two, three, five years and the United States or China would be the next step. His kids speak English, so perhaps it is time to learn Chinese which he can offer to his siblings with a few years in the Far East."