A blockbuster final transfer day at Manchester United as they landed the best center forward in the world, Colombia striker Radamel Falcao in a £6m season-long loan deal from Monaco. Falcao’s move, meanwhile, includes an option for United to buy him for £43.5m at the end of the loan spell.
The 28-year-old scored 11 goals in 20 league appearances for Monaco, and two in three games this season.
The striker told the United website:
“Manchester United is the biggest club in the world and is clearly determined to get back to the top.
“I am looking forward to working with Louis van Gaal and contributing to the team’s success at this very exciting period in the club’s history.”
Adding another world class striker was not what many United fans were expecting to sign today, but as Luis van Gaak put it
“When a player of this calibre becomes available, it is an opportunity not to be missed.”
To make room for Falcao, United sent Javier Hernandez to Real Madrid and sold long time United fan Danny Welbeck to Arsenal. Many United fans are disappointed in the departure of Welbeck, but in Falcao they have one of the of the best strikers in the world.
United also completed the £13.8m signing of Daley Blind from Ajax. The 24-year-old versatile Blind became a United player on the day he picked up the Eredivisie Player of the Year award.
“I cannot wait to work with Van Gaal at the biggest club in the world,” Blind told the club website.
“It is a real honour to sign for Manchester United. I have been at Ajax since I was seven years old and I will always have very fond memories of the club and of my time there.”
It’s been a good transfer period for United. Last week the broke the British transfer fee record by spending £59.7m to bring midfielder Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid. Add in Blind, Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera and Marcos Rojo are all upgrades over the players who left, and they you add in Falcao, who is the biggest name to sign for a Premier League side in a generation.
