After numerous weeks of speculation, Chelsea finally announced the season-long loan acquisition of Radamel Falcao from French outfit Monaco last Friday.
Prior to the agreement, Jose Mourinho confirmed he was keen to bring the Colombian to Stamford Bridge in spite of a disastrous temporary spell at Old Trafford last term:
“If I can help Falcao reach his level again, I will do it. It hurts me that people in England think that the real Falcao is the one we saw at Manchester United.”
The History
Born in Santa Marta, Colombia, Falcao started out at second division side Lanceros Boyaca, earning his senior debut for the club at the age of 13. He spent two seasons at the Tunja-based club, netting one goal in eight matches. Falcao then moved to Argentina to sign for top tier outfit River Plate in February 2001.
After being handed his first start for the full squad in in the 2005/06 season, Falcao went on to notch seven goals in 11 appearances. Ligament damage to Falcao’s right knee restricted him to just 20 league appearances (1033 minutes) in the following campaign, yet the clinical Colombian recovered to chalk up 24 league goals and five assists across the subsequent two campaigns.
Falcao then plotted a course to Europe, penning a deal with Porto for a €4 million fee. He finished his first season at the Dragons as the league’s second-highest scorer, registering 25 goals and seven assists in 28 league outings. The next campaign proved to be similarly profitable, as Falcao tallied 16 goals and four assists in 22 league outings while also setting a new record for goals (17) in the Europa League.
Atletico Madrid paid €40 million to sign Falcao in the summer of 2011, making him the club’s record transfer. He enjoyed two hugely successful campaigns with Rojiblancos, recording 52 goals and five assists in 68 outings, and scooping two trophies (Europa League and Copa del Rey).
Falcao chose to sign for Monaco in May 2013, yet his debut season in Ligue 1 was hamstrung by thigh and knee injuries, meaning he only mustered nine goals in 17 league outings. After sitting out six months of action with a knee complaint, Falcao played in the first three fixtures of the 2014/15 campaign, before Manchester United snapped him up on a £6 million loan deal. He struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford, bagging four goals and five assists in 26 appearances (14 starts).
On the international stage, Falcao has registered 25 goals in 61 appearances and recently became his country’s highest-ever scorer after netting in a friendly against Costa Rica last month.
The Prospects
Given that Mourinho started every league match last season with a 4-2-3-1 formation, it’s fair to say that the Blues’ new striker faces a tough task to nail down a regular role over the campaign ahead.
Clearly, Diego Costa – who finished third in the scoring charts (20 goals) despite his injury travails – will remain as the first-choice frontman, limiting Falcao’s opportunities. Nonetheless, Costa’s ongoing hamstring issues and penchant for incurring the referee’s wrath is an issue that his manager has to address.
Costa started just 24 league outings last term (missing eight matches through injury and four through suspension) allowed Didier Drogba and Loic Remy to earn eight and six league starts respectively. With Drogba now gone, it’s no surprise that Mourinho delved into the market to acquire a quality back-up in his pursuit of consecutive titles.
With the likes of Palace and West Ham linked with a move for Remy, Mourinho’s shopping spree could well continue, with the Blues reportedly keen on Charlie Austin as a replacement should the Frenchman depart. Either way, it seems likely that Falcao will start the season as Chelsea’s third-choice forward, with minutes off the bench the likeliest scenario over the initial stages, at least.
If Falcao does find some rhythm, it would certainly afford Mourinho the luxury of exercising more caution with Costa’s minutes. Should that be the case, Eden Hazard’s claims as the prime route into Chelsea’s attack would be strengthened further, given that PFA Player of the Year started every league match for the champions in 2014/15.
Although the calibre of Chelsea’s top Fantasy assets renders them almost fixture proof, it’s worth nothing that the London club face a tough start to the new campaign. Beyond a home opener against Swansea City, Mourinho’s troops embark on a challenging road schedule (mci, wba, eve) and a visit from Arsenal within the first six Gameweeks. It’s unlikely to discourage investment in Chelsea’s big-hitters, though, particularly when other high-priced recruits like Sergio Aguero and Alexis Sanchez have question marks against their availability for Gameweek 1 by virtue of their involvement in the final of the Copa America.
