Fernando Torres has completed his move from Atletico Madrid to Liverpool after signing a six-year contract.

The 23-year-old striker, whose transfer has been reported to have cost the Anfield side up to £26.5 million, passed a medical at the club's Melwood training ground yesterday.

He briefly flew back to Spain to say an emotional goodbye to fans in Madrid before arriving back on Merseyside today to complete the formalities of the transfer.

Torres, speaking through an interpreter, said: "I'm very happy to be joining the club. It is a fantastic opportunity to be joining one of the best clubs in Europe with a fantastic history. You don't get opportunities like this every day of your life."

Asked what impact manager Rafael Benitez had on his decision the Spain striker said: "It was important, the confidence shown in me by him. When you hear a club like Liverpool is interested in you it is something that fills you with a lot of surprise and a lot of pride."

The 23-year-old Spain striker will wear the No 9 shirt previously worn by legendary Liverpool strikers Robbie Fowler and Ian Rush, but Benitez insisted that despite the hefty price tag there was no undue pressure on Torres to shatter scoring records. "I'm not thinking about 20 goals (a season)," Benitez said. "I'd rather have four strikers who score 15 goals each. I like to change players with a rotation policy. If you have different options then you can manage different games."

But he was also certain that his latest signing would be able to bear the weight of expectation. "He's a player who was playing first team at 17 years old and he can handle pressure. He was captain at Atletico Madrid, trying to win trophies and he was always under pressure to do that. He can handle it."

Benitez also hinted that Craig Bellamy will be the striker to pay the price for the arrival of Torres. With Andriy Voronin also having arrived this summer, speculation has increased about the futures of Peter Crouch and Bellamy.

But while Benitez confirmed he wants Crouch to stay, he admitted there is interest from other clubs in Wales international Bellamy. Asked if Bellamy will be leaving, Benitez said: "Possibly. We have some clubs asking about him and it's a possibility. The only thing I can say is that Crouch will be staying with us. I have said to Crouch that he must fight for his position and he will stay with us."

Speculation has also linked Benitez with a controversial move for Manchester United's defender Gabriel Heinze. But Benitez insists he is concentrating on signing wide midfielders. "Really we are working with wingers," he said. "People can talk about a lot of things and a lot of names but we're working on wingers."