Falcao to Manchester United? Not so fast.
After the Spanish paper Marca reported that the Atletico Madrid striker was on his way to Old Trafford this summer, the rumor mill was grinding at high speed. But when asked about it by reporters ahead of his team’s game against Stoke City today, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was, shall we say, a tad dismissive.
“Do you honestly believe that? Really? It does amaze me that you come up with that one,” he said.
But as ideas go, it’s not so stupid. After all, which club wouldn’t want the 27-year-old Colombian? He’s merely one of the best strikers on our planet.
With 22 goals from 27 starts in the Spanish league this season, only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are more prolific in La Liga. Atletico are third in the standings but it’s impossible to imagine them seriously challenging for the domestic title or the Champions League in the next couple of years.
Atletico would want a transfer fee in the region of $50-70 million for Falcao, but United have supersub Javier Hernandez whom they could offer in part-exchange.
Anyway, United fans can stop fantasizing about an attacking trio of Falcao, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney - it’s not going to happen. We can trust the man who told the press in 2009 that he wouldn’t sell Real Madrid “a virus” shortly before Ronaldo packed his bags for the Bernabeu, right?
