10 years ago Manchester United took an almighty chance on a player, with loan switch for Colombian striker Radamel Falcao.
At the time Radamel Falcao was regarded as one of the world’s best centre-forwards. His goalscoring record placed him in the elite conversation, up there with Cristiano Ronaldo.
- 72 goals in 87 games for Porto
- 70 goals in 90 games for Atletico Madrid
In 2013 he signed for big-spending Monaco, then disaster struck. Falcao suffered an ACL injury which saw him miss the 2014 World Cup.
He raced back from injury, looking for a fresh start. Manchester United obliged, with a dramatic surprise deadline day swoop.
Radamel Falcao spell at Manchester United and career since
Manchester United felt like Falcao was worth taking a gamble on. His previous goalscoring record backed that up, and an option to buy at £43 million seemed like shrewd business.
The problem was, Falcao clearly hadn’t recovered. ACL injuries can take a year to recover from, yet he was back playing within nine months.
At the dawn of a new era under Louis van Gaal, with Danny Welbeck sold to make way, this was a loan move which did not pan out.
Falcao had to deal with other muscle injuries during the season, with Van Gaal at one stage telling BBC Sport: “I have selected him in spite of the fact he can only play for 20 minutes.”
An impressive goal against Aston Villa aside, there was little to shout about. Falcao scored only four goals in 29 appearances, and it was no surprise his loan was not made permanent.
He did return to the Premier League on loan with Chelsea, but did not have better luck. It was only in 2016/17 his career began to pick up again.
He struck 30 goals for Monaco that season, followed by 24 the subsequent campaign, before beginning to fade.
Falcao has spent the past six years at Galatasaray and Rayo Vallecano – where he played alongside Bebe, scoring a combined 37 goals, around six per season. A long way from his prolific best.
Radamel Falcao signs for Millonarios
10 years since signing for Manchester United, Radamel Falcao has decided to leave European football altogether.
Now 38-years-old, Falcao has returned to his native Colombia to sign with Millonarios, ESPN report.
The striker reveals it is a dream move, commenting: “Everybody knows that Millonarios is the team of my heart.”
He was congratulated by Colombia international Rafael Borre, who wrote: “You are a great idol you deserve that Colombian football recognizes everything you have done for us.”
This will be Falcao’s last hurrah. He has had a strong career – but he might reflect that if not for injuries, it could have been even better.
For a brief period between 2010 and 2013, he was the most lethal out and out striker in world football.