To suggest that Atletico Madrid’s prolific hitman Radamel Falcao might already be searching out an English phrasebook might seem a little premature, but with interest in the Colombian reaching almost feverish levels on these shores, there’s every chance that the 27-year-old could find himself plying his trade in England next term.
With a reported release clause of near on £52million and alleged wage demands in excess of £200,000, Falcao is of course a target for only a very select few in the European game.
But with Barcelona’s interest having cooled and Atletico reportedly holding no designs on selling up to local rivals Real Madrid, bar a potential move to Paris Saint-Germain, the path is seemingly paved for the former-Porto man to try his hand within the Premier League.
With the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and even perhaps Manchester United interested in acquiring the Colombian’s services, it’s likely that Falcao will have no shortage of suitors come the summer. But far from simply analyzing what team would benefit the most from his unique set of striking gifts, what club offers the best move for the player himself?
Certainly, from a financial perspective all three of the aforementioned trio – a term used loosely, given the very tentative authenticity of United’s rumoured interest – would have few problems in financing Falcao’s extortionate wage demands.
With the notorious bargaining skills of Jorge Mendes as an agent, no club is likely to be able to bring the 27-year-old to their haunts without laying out a significant financial package. But with Roman Abramovich said to be a huge fan of the player and Manchester City’s de facto owner Sheikh Mansour presumably determined to regain his side’s Premier League crown, Falcao isn’t likely to find personal terms an issue with any of his English suitors.
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Differentiating quite where Falcao would be better off from a purely sporting perspective, however, isn’t quite as easy a feat.
Chelsea have long been mooted as arguably the most likeliest destination for Falcao, should he move to England this summer. With the club in need of a consistently world-class striker and current incumbent, the faltering Fernando Torres, reportedly an attractive makeweight for Atletico manager Diego Simeone, a move to Stamford Bridge seems to make sense all ways up.
Yet for as logical as such a move may seen, there are enough variables floating around West London to ensure that the one time-River Plate striker would have plenty of food for thought before agreeing to sign on the dotted line for the Blues.
With Rafa Benitez set to step down from his interim managerial role at the end of the season, there is a strange uncertainty to the future direction in which the Stamford Bridge ship is set to sale. One would imagine that Abramovich would be keen to explain to Falcao in detail who he’s likely to be plying his trade under, yet even with May now fast approaching, we’re still no closer to discovering who is set to take the managerial reigns at the club this season.
With talk of Jose Mourinho’s return to the club now dampened and such a small shortlist of real, renowned European names there for the club to look at, would Falcao feel quite as keen as linking up with, say, a David Moyes like manager? Certainly, should the Blues fail to qualify for the Champions League, they would face an almost impossible task in attracting a player to the club who remains so desperate to play in the competition.
Although if stability is one of the most off-putting factors regarding a potential Falcao switch to Chelsea, then it seems difficult to believe how Manchester City offer a striking foundation of solidarity for the Colombian to become part of.
After a season in which City have so meekly surrendered their Premier League title, there are no guarantees that Roberto Mancini will be there to commandeer his side for another campaign and even fewer clues as to who might feasibly replace him. Either way, should Falcao find himself likely to be offered identical personal terms from both clubs, he’s probably quite likely to find himself offered a similar level of question marks from Chelsea and Manchester City as well.
Yet if stability isn’t a guarantee at either club, then a wealth of attacking talent most certainly is. Plump for either club and Falcao can look forward to having the likes of Juan Mata and Eden Hazard or David Silva and Yaya Toure supplying him the goods to feed upon. But while Mancini would surely fire Falcao straight into the starting line up at the Etihad Stadium, it’s at Stamford Bridge where you feel a more natural home awaits the prolific marksman.
With Fernando Torres widely accepted to be the one who makes way for Falcao should he arrive at the club, although Demba Ba would have a role to play, the Atletico man would be the indisputable main man down at Chelsea. With the likes of Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko plying their trade at City, regardless of how well Falcao may or may not link up with one of the feted trio, he’s not going to be afforded the autonomy that he will do at Stamford Bridge.
Even if City decide to sell another of the aforementioned trio, at Chelsea, he’s not going to have to play beside another out-and-out striker or face anything in the way of the sort of competition he would do up at the Etihad.
Either club would offer Radamel Falcao a superb base in which to push on during the prime years of his career, but for all the questions that are still to be answered at Stamford Bridge, it’s Chelsea which perhaps offer him the better pick.
