The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Falcao

  • Mikel, Falcao, Courtois going

    Mikel, Falcao, Courtois going

    Latest reports from England on Friday night suggested that Nigeria’s senior team, Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi topped the list of six major players who would be allowed to seek employment elsewhere next year.

    Others in the six-man list pencilled down are goalkeeper Courtois, Oscar junior, Radamel Falcao, Loic Remy and Baba Rahman. Not much was divulged about why the six players are being asked to go, especially Mikel, Coutiois, Oscar who are regular players in the team till date.

    It appears Mikel’s refusal to sign a fresh contract until he is assured of a regular first team shirt may have contributed to his been listed in Chelsea’s clear-out document for next year, knowing that he has one year left to his previous deal with lapses in 2017. Mikel will then walk away as a free agent, one thing Chelsea management won’t want to happen. The Blues‘ bosses would be looking to be paid some millions of dollars for the Nigerian’s next move.

    Interestingly, Guus Hiddink admits Chelsea are trying to overcome a feeling of emptiness as they limp towards the Premier League finish line.

    It has been a disastrous campaign for the Blues as Jose Mourinho oversaw the club’s worst ever start to a season under Roman Abramovich’s rule.

    They were never in the title race, dumped out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain and knocked out of the FA Cup by Everton.

    Not even the Capital One Cup would provide silverware this term as Stoke City ended their interest in that competition in October.

    Hiddink took over following Mourinho’s sacking in December and was unable to challenge for the top four despite going unbeaten until last week’s loss at Swansea City.

  • ‘Falcao is the signing of the summer’ — Owen

    Radamel Falcao’s loan move to Manchester United is the “signing of the window”, according to Michael Owen, who then went on to question the club’s direction in the transfer market.

    The striker has arrived at Old Trafford for a year-long switch after the club beat rivals Manchester City and Arsenal to clinch a loan deal for a fee of €12.5 million and will pay most of his €380,000-a-week wages.

    In a summer which has seen the likes of Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas, Alexis Sanchez and Angel Di Maria all move to England, the former United striker feels that Falcao’s signature is the most headline-grabbing.

    “Best signing of the window? Obviously, Falcao sticks out and I am a fan of the striker but I didn’t think it was the position United needed to strengthen,” Owen told Sportslobster.

    Falcao’s move follows the signings of Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw, Angel Di Maria and the soon-to-be-announced Daley Blind.

    Owen has questioned the balance of Louis van Gaal’s squad – with the manager yet to record a win in a competitive game at his new club – and argues that the defensive cover is still a priority position to strengthen.

    “I think United needed to strengthen defensively but the players just aren’t available at the moment,” he continued.

    “People say Ron Vlaar at Aston Villa but no-one rated him until the World Cup and so I am not convinced.

    “I think the three in defence isn’t working at the minute and so, if I was Van Gaal, I would go back to four in defence.

    “United now have so many attacking players that I am unsure how they are going to fit them all in. I think this is why they originally started with the 3-5-2 formation, so they could accommodate loads of attackers, but now I think Van Gaal may sacrifice [Juan] Mata.”

  • Falcao unaware of any Madrid interest

    Falcao unaware of any Madrid interest

    Monaco’s Radamel Falcao insists he has been given no indication of possible interest from Real Madrid, despite reports to the contrary.

    The 28-year-old made his comeback from a serious knee injury in the Emirates Cup over the weekend, coming off the bench in a 2-2 draw with Valencia on Saturday before netting the only goal against Arsenal on Sunday.

    Despite missing the second half of the 2013-14 season, as well Colombia’s World Cup campaign in Brazil, speculation has grown that Real are interested in bringing the striker to the Santiago Bernabeu.

    Falcao has already seen compatriot James Rodriguez depart for the Spanish giants, but the former River Plate, Porto and Atletico Madrid man says he has heard nothing about a potential return to La Liga.

    “To be honest, I do not know anything.” Falcao said.

    “I think Monaco have a project with Falcao. I am still finishing my recovery to be fully fit for the the coach.

    “Now, I’m not thinking about any other teams. I am focused 100 per cent on Monaco. The only thing that disrupted my sleep was to find out when I would be back on the pitch and today I am very happy to be back.”

    Jardim underlined the Ligue 1 club’s determination to keep hold of their star man earlier this week, saying: “At this point Falcao is our player and he’s with us 100 per cent and we don’t want to let him go.”

  • Falcao “our player”,says Jardim

    Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim warned potential suitors off star striker Radamel Falcao.

    The Colombia international returned to club duty on Saturday, after recovering from a knee injury suffered in January that ended his hopes of a FIFA World Cup campaign in Brazil.

    However, the powerful forward came on as a substitute against Valencia, in their 2-2 friendly draw at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

    “At this point Falcao is our player and he’s with us 100 per cent and we don’t want to let him go,” Jardim said.

    “It’s a pity we lost James [Rodriguez] but we can count on Falcao staying. Regardless of what people say, he’s our player.

    “He’s in the final stages of his recovery and he’ll be with us this season.”

    Rumours Falcao was set for a departure gained momentum when former team-mate and Real Madrid signing James Rodriguez declared his compatriot was set to follow him to the Bernabeu.

  • Messi, Falcao tear Nou Camp apart

    Barcelona star Lionel Messi will not be the only goalscoring sensation on Sunday when his side take on second-placed Atletico Madrid and Radamel Falcao in a La Liga cracker.

    Messi and Falcao have 39 league goals between them already this season with the former breaking Gerd Muller’s all-time record for the number of goals in a calendar year, previously 85, in Barcelona’s win at Real Betis last weekend.

    Meanwhile Falcao, who missed training with a muscle injury on Thursday but is expected to play from the start on Sunday, smashed five goals in Atletico’s 6-0 hammering of Deportivo on the same evening.

    But it is the continuing goalscoring exploits of Messi, who has moved three ahead of Muller after netting twice against Betis and twice again in the cup win over Cordoba, which set him apart from the rest according to Mascherano.

    “Messi is unique because he is already the best player in the history of this sport,” Mascherano said.

    “We are talking about 88 goals as if it were something normal but what he has done is incredible. This is a lad who has been touched by a magic wand.”

    But the top-of-the-table clash is not just about the two main goalscoring protagonists as Barcelona look to extend their lead at the top of the table to nine points with a win over Atletico.

    Arch rivals Real Madrid are already 11 points adrift but Barcelona midfielder Xavi is not ruling either of the Madrid giants out of the title hunt.

    “Atletico Madrid are rivals and have not given up after they lost to Madrid, far from it,” he said. “It is increasingly difficult to win – Madrid can overcome many things and it is far too early to predict anything and start speculating.

  • Mourinho rules out Falcao move

    Mourinho rules out Falcao move

    The Colombia international has been linked with several of Europe’s elite clubs after setting La Liga alight since arriving at the Vicente Calderon from FC Porto in August 2011.

    Falcao finished last season with an impressive 24 league goals and he has already found the back of the net eight times this term, going neck-to-neck with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the Pichichi scoring charts.

    Chelsea and Manchester City have both expressed an interest in the 26-year-old, although the

    Premier League rivals are not expected to make a move during the January transfer window.

    Los Merengues, however, are not in the running for Falcao, with Mourinho revealing the Spanish champions have an arrangement with their city neighbours that none of Atleti’s star

    players will be brought to the Bernabeu.

    “Falcao is a fundamental player for our rivals, just like Kun Aguero was,” Mourinho told A Bola. “There is a pact of non-aggression between Real Madrid and Atletico so I think Falcao is a forbidden fruit.

    “He’s a fantastic player, and I get the feeling he is a lovely guy, and I’m very happy to see him do so well at Atletico.”