EPL: Chelsea’s Falcao confident despite an uncertain future
By Edgar Acero
Colombian striker Radamel Falcao revealed he declined two offers to play in China in order to stay and fight for Chelsea in the Premier League.
Radamel Falcao García used to inspire the type of fear worthy of his nickname of El Tigre. Sadly, the Colombian striker has been more of a harmless kitten during his time in the English Premier League.
It is certainly understandable that news of his return to the Chelsea training ground earlier this month didn’t particularly thrill the Blues fan base. Falcao has been out for five months after suffering a groin injury in October, having scored just once in 11 games for the Premier League champions. It’s the kind of production that points to an ungraceful exit from the EPL.
Still, while many believe he should’ve been gone a long time ago, Falcao seems to think otherwise. The Chelsea striker is not saying much about his future, though he revealed that he declined two offers from China in order to stay in the Premier League.
“It’s true that I had two different offers from the Chinese league but I stayed in England to give myself an opportunity,” he said in an interview for Colombia’s El Tiempo. “Going [to China] would have been the easy way out because it was a great offer, but I decided to stay here and fight.”
To say that Falcao has underperformed in the EPL would be an understatement as he has been reduced to five goals in 35 games in almost two seasons, first with Manchester United and currently at Chelsea. That’s a far cry from the fearsome goal-scoring machine that recorded 52 goals in 67 games for Atlético Madrid, the team that saw him turn into a world superstar before a much-criticized move to Monaco in 2013.
Going [to China] would have been the easy way out because it was a great offer, but I decided to stay here and fight.”
“It has been a difficult time,” Falcao said of the last two years, which included suffering an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury in his left knee that denied him the opportunity to play for Colombia in the 2014 World Cup. He consequently moved to the Premier League, where he had trouble adjusting to life at Manchester United.
“I didn’t have the opportunities I thought I was going to get,” he said of the Red Devils, who at the time where starting a new process after 25 successful years under Sir Alex Ferguson.
“Things were complicated at Manchester,” he explained. “Everyone saw the instability of my situation. I would play some games and then sit others out.”
A move to Stamford Bridge to play for EPL Champions Chelsea was supposed to provide a much-needed change for the Colombian star. It was not to be, however, as the London club experienced an emphatic dip in form and the striker struggled with fitness.
It certainly seems unlikely for Falcao, who is on loan from Monaco, to stay at Chelsea. And while Antonio Conte, who appears set to become Chelsea’s new manager next season, is a fan of the Colombian striker, his price-tag and production don’t add up well.
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Now, after five inactive months, Falcao is finally making his way back for a team that doesn’t have much to play for. But while there are no championships in sight, the 30-year-old will be looking for the opportunity to show that he can still compete at the top-level. That way he can finally put an end to the ceaseless rumors of his departure to China or Major League Soccer.