Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal signed Radamel Falcao on loan while reportedly also negotiating a huge fee for a 'ghost' friendly match which never ended up taking place
04:00, 15 Feb 2025
Manchester United's Radamel Falcao (left) shakes hands with former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson
Radamel Falcao joined Manchester United in 2014(Image: PA)
Radamel Falcao joined Manchester United in 2014 from AS Monaco but the Premier League heavyweights reportedly had a cute workaround to make sure they abided by French league rules to do so.
Striker Falcao, nicknamed 'El Tigre', was signed on-loan by United's Dutch boss Louis van Gaal – who had ups and downs at the club – after being linked with switches to Manchester City, Juventus, Arsenal and Real Madrid less than 18 months after his big-money move from Porto to Ligue 1 for a whopping £52million.
As part of the deal, United allegedly wanted to include a performance-based bonus of £3.5m which depended on their finishing position in the Premier League table, namely whether they were in the top four or not, the Mirror reported, but this was not allowed under France's professional football rules.
It was claimed by Football Leaks that United agreed to two different contracts – one for Colombian Falcao's loan for around £5million, and another for a friendly match between the two clubs, costing United £3.5million.
The only condition was that United had to finish in the top four. But it's alleged that if the friendly didn't happen, United still had to pay Monaco £3.5m.
Radamel Falcao looked a long way from his best while at Manchester United
Radamel Falcao looked a long way from his best while at Manchester United(Image: Getty Images)
In his first season as the boss of the Red Devils, Van Gaal led United to a fourth-place finish, earning them a spot in the Champions League the following season.
However, before the 2015-16 campaign, he cancelled the proposed friendly match – turning it into a ghost fixture – after taking his team on a US tour for the International Champions Cup.
Neither Manchester United nor Monaco commented on the idea that the cancelled friendly was an attempt to bypass LFP's rules.
Radamel Falcao got his career back on track at Monaco after troubled spells in England
Radamel Falcao got his career back on track at Monaco after troubled spells in England(Image: AFP)
Falcao, meanwhile, flopped at Old Trafford, scoring just four times in 29 appearances across all competitions, but despite this was a fan favourite for his effort and passion.
Article continues below
Falcao, now 39 and playing for Colombian top-flight side Millonarios, went on to join Chelsea the following season, but fared even worse – netting once in 12 games during the 2015-16 term.
Falcao's best years were spent earlier in his career with Porto and Atletico Madrid, while he did eventually rediscover his touch in front of goal back at Monaco between 2016 and 2019 before moves to Galatasaray, Rayo Vallecano and now Millonarios.