Veteran Fowler, who officially left the club when his contract expired last week, is excited about the arrival of the Spain hitman at Anfield.

Torres has moved a step nearer completing his move from Atletico Madrid, it is believed, by verbally agreeing personal terms while he is away on holiday.

He is expected back from Polynesia, possibly even by the weekend, to complete the £26.5million deal, a Liverpool record.

As he arrives, Liverpool will be allowing Luis Garcia to head to Atletico for a £4million fee, ending a productive spell of 30 goals in 121 games for the Reds.

That was a decent return and made him a firm favourite amongst Liverpool fans, who indulged his occasional wastefulness and loved the crucial goals he scored.

Fowler, now looking for a new club, admitted to still being a big Liverpool fan who hopes Torres can step into his scoring boots.

Fowler said in a Sky Sports News interview: "His goals record has been fantastic in Spain. He has scored plenty of goals for his country as well. I think he will be a great player for Liverpool.

"I am a Liverpool fan and I hope he brings the championship to Liverpool.

"Since I have been playing, we've never won that and, as I said before, I am a fan, so I want Liverpool to win everything.

"Signing players of this calibre will only help the club to get in a position where they can challenge for titles."

Liverpool sources have insisted there is no conflict over wages with the 23-year-old Atletico skipper, as had been claimed, and he has verbally accepted around £90,000 a week.

That will put him on a par with Jamie Carragher and Xabi Alonso, but short of Steven Gerrard's new £120,000-a-week contract.

Liverpool are so confident that Torres will now complete his signing when he returns from holiday, they have agreed to the Luis Garcia deal.

The two moves are not officially linked, but the Reds will now see their agreed fee for Torres cut to £22.5million now Luis Garcia is returning to a club he spent a season with earlier in his career.

The Spaniard's agent, Manuel Garcia Quillon, told PA Sport: "We are working on Luis Garcia's permanent transfer to Atletico de Madrid. If all goes well, the deal should be completed either today or tomorrow."

The departure of the diminutive midfielder, one of boss Rafael Benitez's first signings when he arrived on Merseyside, will disappointed the Anfield faithful.

He scored some crucial European goals, in particular the controversial Champions League semi-final winner against Chelsea in 2005.

He joined the club in the summer of 2004 from Barcelona, and was frequently used as a substitute to change matches by Benitez, but the 29-year-old suffered a serious knee injury in January which curtailed his season.

Luis Garcia's departure means there are only three Spaniards in the current Liverpool senior squad, which will be back to four when Torres joins.

Benitez has already turned to other targets, while he will also have talks with goalkeeper Scott Carson having turned down a bid from Bolton to take the England international on a season-long loan.

Benitez has already said he wants Carson - on loan at Charlton last season - to compete with Jose Reina for the first-team slot.

But Carson clearly has worries about his international prospects if he spends most of the season on the bench now Jerzy Dudek has officially left the club.

If Carson persists with his fears of inactivity - Dudek only played two league games last term and six in all - Benitez may well have to revise his plans and give new signing Nikolay Mikhaylov, 19, already a Bulgaria full international, more opportunities.

Many observers feel Carson will not be willing to see a whole season virtually wasted ahead of the European Championship finals next summer.

Benitez is interested in Manchester United left-back Gabriel Heinze, who would cost £4million and would be the first direct transfer between the clubs since Phil Chisnall moved to Anfield from Old Trafford in 1964.

Liverpool are also believed to have snapped up Barcelona striker Dani Pachuco, 16, for around £300,000.

And they today completed the formalities on the deals bringing teenagers Krisztian Nemeth and Andras Simon from MTK Hungaria, the moves being agreed several weeks ago.

The pair starred for Hungary in last year's UEFA under-17 Championships and then impressed during a trial spell at Melwood.

Both have signed three-year contracts and will start life at Liverpool as part of Gary Ablett's reserve-team squad.