Could Fernando Torres already be on his way out of AC Milan?

Despite Fernando Torres' struggles, AC Milan's coaches and players still insist he's an important player for the club.

In recent years, Fernando Torres has emerged as an easy target for criticism given the overall decline in his game. The Spaniard momentarily silenced his doubters after finding the net against Empoli on Sept. 23, but with just that solitary goal to show for his efforts in five outings, speculation has already surfaced of a possible exit.

German newspaper Bild claimed earlier this week that Schalke were preparing a January offer for the Milan striker, with former Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo keen on a reunion with his former star. The suggestion has been that if Torres continues to stutter, the Rossoneri may well be willing to listen.
In addition, the 30-year-old was also indirectly criticized by Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, with club CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin revealing that the Argentinian tactician did not want him back at the club earlier this summer.

Coupled with his struggles on the pitch so far this season, the pressure is already mounting on Torres and it remains to be seen whether he can react positively or if he will be buried by the weight of expectation being put on his shoulders.
Shortly after his signing was confirmed, the importance of managing the level of expectation was discussed in a previous blog. It was always going to be imperative to not expect the Torres of old to return, and to an extent, he has performed well thus far with glimpses of his former self.
Ultimately, now is not the time to panic and concede that after two months it was a failure to sign him. Milan CEO Adriano Galliani has publicly backed him in recent weeks, while teammate Sulley Muntari has insisted that he is an important player.

Despite Fernando Torres' struggles, AC Milan's coaches and players still insist he's an important player for the club.

While the prediction that Torres would act as a perfect foil for Stephan El Shaarawy has failed to materialize thus far, there is still a belief that the Spaniard's movement and general play is beneficial enough to the team to warrant the speculation being dismissed.
Nevertheless, if there is one argument for it, then it would inevitably be that Jeremy Menez is perhaps a victim of Milan's belief in Torres. The Frenchman excelled in his "false nine" position at the start of the season, and his ability to link play as well as score goals was a key part of the early success.
However, with Torres' arrival, Menez has been forced into a change of position and was even dropped to the bench against Verona on Sunday. Given Keisuke Honda's current form, it is impossible for Pippo Inzaghi to drop him, so El Shaarawy has arguably also been a victim of the Torres effect.
Fitness and injury troubles have also played their part with the duo, but despite what Torres offers in the current system, Inzaghi may reach a point where he feels required to return to his initial tactical setup displayed in the opening game against Lazio.
Inzaghi insists that Torres "always makes the right movements on the pitch" and that it is fundamental to the team's overall play. My plea is to not make him into the new Mario Balotelli at San Siro when things aren't going well, with the Liverpool striker sadly, yet predictably, already in the firing line at Anfield.