Chelsea in Falcao talks

Chelsea opened talks with Radamel Falcao and his representatives over the possibility of taking the Colombia striker to Stamford Bridge. Photo by: Eddie Keogh/Reuters

Chelsea opened talks with Radamel Falcao and his representatives over the possibility of taking the Colombia striker to Stamford Bridge. Photo by: Eddie Keogh/Reuters

Published May 30, 2015

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Chelsea opened talks with Radamel Falcao and his representatives over the possibility of taking the Colombia striker to Stamford Bridge.

Falcao flopped during his season on loan at Manchester United from Monaco, scoring just four goals in 29 appearances before manager Louis van Gaal confirmed last weekend that he had decided not to go ahead with a permanent deal worth £44million.

The 29-year-old’s brief spell at Old Trafford is still believed to have cost United £40m, comprising his £285,000-a-week wages and a £6m loan fee, although it’s understood that Falcao is prepared to accept a significant pay cut to secure his next move.

His agent Jorge Mendes has been offering the former Porto and Atletico Madrid striker around Europe and is said to be increasingly confident that a deal can be done with Chelsea, the newly crowned Barclays Premier League champions.

Mendes is also Jose Mourinho’s agent and has worked closely in the past with those at Stamford Bridge, including Marina Granovskaia, who is the Chelsea director responsible for all transfers.

An initial meeting took place yesterday with representatives from Monaco, who are keen to move Falcao off their wage bill.

Chelsea are in the market for a striker after veteran Ivory Coast international Didier Drogba confirmed his decision to leave the club and continue his career elsewhere.

The champions need back-up for 26-year-old Spain striker Diego Costa, who has missed a number of games this season due to persistent hamstring problems, and Falcao’s camp are adamant he can return to top form after the knee injury that ruled him out of the World Cup last summer.

Before joining United, Falcao was regarded as one of the world’s best front men, scoring 24 times in 54 matches for his country.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are set to miss out on promising Paraguayan youngster Sergio Diaz.

They entertained the Cerro Porteno forward’s father Ismael at last weekend’s final league game at home to Sunderland, but 17-year-old Diaz now seems likely to join Roma. – Daily Mail

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