THE BEST SOCCER PLAYERS

Liverpool have completed the signing of Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez from Dutch club Ajax in a five-and-a-half year deal worth about £22.7m. "Luis Suarez has completed his transfer to Liverpool in a deal that will keep him at Anfield until 2016," a club statement read. Suarez, 24, will wear the coveted number seven shirt, made famous by his boss Kenny Dalglish. The striker scored 49 goals in 48 games for Ajax in the Eredivisie last season. Ajax , who told Liverpool to return with a "respectful" bid after rejecting their initial offer of £12.7m, will make a £16.3m profit on a player they bought from Dutch outfit Groningen in 2007. But BBC Sport blogger Tim Vickery suggested that Liverpool have invested wisely. "If I had £23m in my bank account I wouldn't have too many qualms about spending it on Suarez," Vickery told BBC Radio 5 live. "Everybody wins. Ajax played the transfer game poker very well. Liverpool have paid top whack but

Liverpool have confirmed they have agreed the sale of Fernando Torres to Premier League rivals Chelsea. It is understood Chelsea's offer is £45 million and the striker will now hold talks with the Blues as he seeks to finalise a deal before the transfer window closes. A statement read: "Liverpool Football Club tonight confirmed they have agreed a fee with Chelsea for the sale of Fernando Torres. The player has now been given permission to speak to the London club." Torres joined Liverpool from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2007 and has scored 65 goals in 102 Premier League games. Liverpool have moved to compensate for the loss of Torres by agreeing a £35 million deal for Newcastle United striker Andy Carroll. The club are also hopeful of signing Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam, while Stephen Warnock has been linked with a return to Anfield on loan. Chelsea, meanwhile, are working hard to sign Benfica defender David Luiz before the transfer window closes.

Sporting a disbelieving look but smiling all the same, Lionel Messi joked at how heavy the newly presented FIFA Ballon d’Or felt. After his Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola offered to take it home for him, the Argentinian magician stepped down from the stage and spoke about his triumph to FIFA.com. FIFA.com: Lionel, how are you feeling?   Lionel Messi: I’m happy, but I didn’t expect it because everyone had been talking so much about Xavi and Andres [Iniesta]. They also deserved it for the wonderful year they had. They won the World Cup, which usually goes a long way to deciding who wins this award, and they both had big parts to play in that. That’s why I thought one of them would be going up to collect the trophy. It was a wonderful surprise. How do you think they are feeling?   I don’t think they’re sad about it. It was a great thing for the three of us and the club to have got this far. I think we all enjoyed the gala. You obviously feel they deserved to win it, but what d

Argentina and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has won the inaugural Fifa Ballon d'Or award at a ceremony in Zurich. Messi, 23, won the prize - a merger of the Fifa Player of the Year prize and Ballon d'Or - ahead of his Barca team-mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi. "I'm surprised to win but pleased to be here with my friends," said Messi, who won the two separate awards last year. Jose Mourinho, who won an unprecedented Treble with Inter Milan in 2010, was named the Coach of the Year. Messi added: "To win it makes it even more special. I want to share it with all of my friends, my family, all the Barcelonistas and the Argentinians." Hamit Altintop won the Puskas Award for Goal of the Year for his wonder volley when Turkey played Kazakhstan, Brazilian striker Marta won the Women's Player of the Year for a fifth consecutive time and Germany's Silvia Neid won the Women's Coach of the Year. The last player to win the Ballon d'Or award