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Chelsea's league title hopes appear remote and with a top-four place not set in stone, the club are expected to up their offer for Liverpool's Spanish striker, although they are likely to have to smash the British transfer record to get their man.

Torres submitted a transfer request on Friday, which was rejected by Liverpool who have slapped a 50 million pounds price tag on the 26-year-old, although a cash plus player offer remains a possibility.

Uruguay's Luis Suarez is expected to complete his move from Ajax on Monday after undergoing a medical, but Liverpool fans appear likely to be denied the prospect of watching him form a potent strike partnership with Torres.

Should Torres leave for west London, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish will be desperate to bring in another striker, especially with Suarez cup-tied for the Europa League.

Newcastle United's muscular frontman Andy Carroll is a possibility while the club will likely test Blackpool's resolve to keep the highly-rated playmaker Charlie Adam.

For all their money, Manchester City are not expected to be busy on Monday, having already spent heavily on Bosnia striker Edin Dzeko, while Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is no fan of mid-season buys, unless he opts to bolster his central defensive numbers.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has virtually ruled out any activity on Monday but Tottenham Hotspur, just outside the Champions League places in fifth, are being linked with various targets including Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero.

More realistic targets are West Ham United's midfielder Scott Parker and striker Carroll -- both of whom have attracted interest from the north London club and would be eligible for Champions League action against AC Milan next month.

With around 100 million pounds already spent in January, the winter window has already eclipsed that of last season in the Premier League, and could threaten the 181 million pounds record set in 2009, especially if Liverpool do business on Torres.