Real Madrid Transfer News & Rumors: Will Falcao Join Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodriguez?
For six months, Radamel Falcao was left with the greatest torment of his career.
The competitive Colombian was not only faced with a crippling injury, but forced to miss what could be his only chance at playing in the World Cup. He watched as his country excelled without him on the biggest stage and saw former Monaco teammate James Rodriguez oust him as the most popular Colombian player in the world.
As he returned to Monaco to restart his training, many questioned whether Falcao would be up to the task and regain his form. At 28 years old, he is at his peak, but could quickly lose that level without a proper recovery. Falcao has proven doubters wrong thus far with two goals in three games for Monaco.
Rumors are in abundance about the superstar being on the move and its seems that among the major buyers are Juventus and Real Madrid. The former squad has an abundance of strikers including Carlos Tevez, Fernando Llorente and Alvaro Morata. WhoScored ranks Tevez and Llorente higher than Falcao due to their diversity of play. Both scored more than the Colombian in 2013-14, but that is largely due to Falcao's inconsistency in his first year in France as well as his lengthy injury. Tevez and Llorente both scored more than 15 goals in 2013-14 while the Colombian managed over 20 in the two seasons leading up to his move to Monaco. He could still be a top striker for Juventus, but might ultimately be unnecessary there. Morata was inconsistent for former club Real Madrid and it seems like the Spanish giants simply lost patience with him.
However, he will be expected to contribute at Monaco. He would not have been purchased to simply sit on the bench. This is exactly what would happen if Falcao was brought into Turin.
And that would also mean that one of Llorente or Tevez would be brought in. Llorente has a similar style to that of the Colombian. Both are tremendous aerial threats and solid on setpieces. So the Spaniard would likely be the sacrificial lamb.
For Real Madrid, either striker could be enticing. Llorente adds another solid aerial threat for the club, as well as a good holdup player. However, Falcao would probably be the option they are hoping for. The Colombian is not tremendous on the counter, but he is the kind of presence that would force opposing defenders back as the team probes with its possession game. Falcao is tremendous in the penalty area and would give the team a consistent aerial presence on setpieces and crosses.
Madrid needs a backup for Karim Benzema, who is currently the only striker on the team. The Frenchman can be maddeningly inconsistent and tends to disappear for long stretches. However, he is the only true striker on the team. He has no competition and that has resulted in complacency.
Falcao would not only provide him with serious competition, but could ultimately be the better option in 2014-15. Benzema has never had the kinds of seasons that Falcao displayed in 2011-12 and 2012-13 when he scored well over 20 goals. Benzema's best year with Los Blancos included a 21-goal output in La Liga in 2011-12.
It also helps that Falcao already has strong friends in the Real Madrid locker room. He is obviously close with Rodriguez as the two are not only former club teammates but also play together on the Colombian national team. It will undoubtedly be a huge confidence boost for both players to be working together at one of the top clubs in the world. But Falcao also has a strong relationship with Real Madrid's superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese captain famously stated that the game needed Falcao when he went down with injury earlier this year. Their mutual respect would probably help their relationship on the pitch as both are born goal scorers.
Madrid bringing in Falcao would be a huge boon for the club. Juventus would also succeed with the star, but could ultimately lose more in the future.
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