Radamel Falcao needs to feel the love, and Louis van Gaal has little time for such things…
The future of on loan Manchester United striker Radamel Falcao has been plunged into further doubt, with Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool all expressing an interest in signing the Monaco striker.
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The Colombian has struggled for form and fitness so far this season, scoring just three goals for his new club. He was even dropped from the match-day squad for last weekend’s defeat to Southampton, leading to something of a war of words between the club and the player’s agent.
Reports in The Times confirm that Falcao’s future is in doubt. While he returned to the starting line-up for yesterday’s 2-0 win over Queens Park Rangers, his finishing was once again called into question, as he failed to put away several clear cut opportunities.
United’s interest in signing the player permanently is now believed to be dwindling. He would cost them upwards of £43m, alongside his already sizeable wages, and the Red Devil’s indecisiveness in the matter has alerted several of their Premier League rivals.
It’s a difficult situation for Falcao, who was always likely to struggle at Old Trafford, coming back from a lengthy spell out through injury. The competitive nature of selection at United, with Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Angel di Maria also among a talented list of attacking options, has also not helped him.
According to the source, the player has been left ‘perplexed and bemused’ by his treatment, and his apparent unhappiness will likely be the reason that United choose to look elsewhere next summer. Falcao’s agent, Jorge Mendes, said as much, when he told reporters: “The truth is, right now we don’t know what will happen.”
Falcao is used to being loved. At Porto, Atletico Madrid and even for a short-time at Monaco, he was unquestionably the main man – the player the club and it’s supporters looked to for their goals, and their inspiration.
But in a United side fresh off the back of £150m worth of investment, he is simply another player – fail to perform, and you’ll be out of the side. The same would almost certainly ring true at City, who themselves have a wealth of attacking talent.
If the player wishes to stay in English football, that leaves two options – Arsenal and Liverpool. The Gunners are also well-off in terms of attacking options, with Olivier Giroud, Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott amongst those available to them. At 28, the Colombian is probably not an Arsene Wenger style player, with the Frenchman generally preferring to invest in younger talent.
But if Liverpool’s interest is to be believed, a switch to Anfield could be just right for both parties. Brendan Rodgers’ side need a striker, with Daniel Sturridge the only man guaranteed his spot in the squad for next season.
At Anfield, there is a reputation for fans treasuring world class strikers – think Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez in recent years alone. They’d worship a player of Falcao’s calibre, and he would in turn produce for them.
The potential of a Sturridge-Falcao partnership must be a mouth-watering prospect for the Liverpool fans. Monaco would still get a decent price, and Untied’s striker conundrum finds an easy solution, with the money then able to be put into other deals. Surely that’s a win for everyone.
SEE ALSO: Liverpool transfer news