Atletico Madrid have given their clearest indication that Fernando Torres could leave the club and that Diego Forlan could be his replacement.

With Liverpool said to have made their interest in the highly-rated striker known, the Spanish club are now playing a waiting game.

Atletico official Miguel Angel Gil Marin admitted he was aware of The Reds' desire to sign Torres and said that one of his jobs this summer could be to look for a replacement.

'Nobody is essential,' Gil Marin told Punto Radio.

'We are trying to build a team to compete and it is not about any one player and, good though he is, we want a squad that achieves its ambitions.

'Atletico is creating a side that is not all about Torres, but about the team itself.'

It is reported that Atletico fans are protesting the move.