Monaco have reportedly rejected a £45m bid from Tianjin Quanjin for striker Radamel Falcao, days after the club were said to be pursuing Diego Costa.
After years of struggling with injuries which effectively ruined spells with Manchester United and Chelsea in the Premier League, the Colombian international is again finding his form.
With 16 goals in 19 appearances in all competitions, he has been crucial for Monaco so far this season and the Ligue 1 outfit will be desperate to avoid losing him.
However, it sounds as though they could give in to the pressure and sell for the right figure, which will be a disappointment as we’ve started to see the Falcao of old.
“I have to think like a leader,” vice-president Vadim Vasilyev told Canal+, as reported by Sky Sports. “Obviously I want to win titles and trophies, but there are special situations. There are very few clubs in the world that can refuse any offer.”
It’s claimed in the report that Tianjin will have to increase their offer by as much as 30 percent if they wish to prise the 30-year-old away from France, while it’s added that they’d be willing to splash out £570,000-a-week on him in wages.
It presents a problem, albeit a wonderful one, for Tianjin though, as it’s reiterated that this is the same club that was linked with a move for Costa last week.
As speculation continues to rumble on over the Spaniard’s future at Chelsea, should Tianjin reach an agreement with Monaco for Falcao then surely that would leave Costa stuck at Stamford Bridge.
It’s an interesting scenario that should play out over the next few weeks and then potentially into the summer, but it will likely have a serious knock on effect for Chelsea if Falcao isn’t the latest big-name player plying his trade in Europe to move to China.