It was an easy decision to pick between Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City
Radamel Falcao and Louis van Gaal
Radamel Falcao and Louis van Gaal(Image: Corbis via Getty Images)
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Radamel Falcao spurned the advances of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City to sign for Manchester United. The year was 2014 when the forward became the latest high-profile addition to United's ranks, a decision he made on transfer deadline day.
As per the Colombian's father, Falcao viewed United as the most prestigious club in England and was willing to reject offers from their fiercest competitors to make Old Trafford his home.
The forward first made waves on the global stage with Porto before his stint with Atletico Madrid saw him hailed as one of Europe's deadliest strikers. A tally of 70 goals in 91 appearances in Spain saw Falcao spearhead Diego Simeone's side to consecutive Europa League titles in 2011 and 2012.
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After scoring 34 goals in his second and final season in Madrid, he transferred to Monaco for a reported £50million but suffered a catastrophic knee injury just six months into his tenure in the principality.
Radamel Falcao looks on
Radamel Falcao failed to find his footing with Manchester United(Image: PA)
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The following summer a loan move to United was activated, giving United the option to make the transfer permanent for a reported £43.5m fee. United, then under the stewardship of Louis van Gaal, were said to have outmanoeuvred several of their domestic rivals to secure Falcao's signature.
Radamel Garcia, father of Falcao and a former Colombian international who competed at the 1980 Summer Olympics, revealed the clubs his son turned down to sign for United. Speaking on Colombian radio, he said: "Manchester United is the most important team in England and one of the most powerful financially.
"Juventus, Manchester City, Liverpool also approached him and Arsenal at the last minute. Fortunately, he ended up at Manchester United, a great team that he has to lead forward."
Just days prior to completing his Old Trafford switch, Falcao had fuelled speculation about a potential transfer to Real Madrid by posting on social media: "Hala Madrid."
His father later shed light on why the proposed move to the Santiago Bernabeu fell through.
Falcao and Di Maria
Falcao and Di Maria(Image: GETTY )
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He said: "Things did not happen with Real Madrid because if you have money and you go to the shops to buy a shirt or trousers, you have to decide if you buy it or not. So Real Madrid opted not to do it, and you can't do anything about that. Apart from that, I don't know, I have a feeling they wanted the player to offer himself as a gift with a number of conditions and things like that.
"It didn't happen because, as I said, they decided to buy the trousers and the shirt they wanted, and they considered what was better for them, and you have to accept that because they are the ones who pay the money. Thank God, everything happened with Manchester United."
Despite his impressive track record in Spain and France, 'El Tigre' struggled to make an impact in England. During his single season at Old Trafford, he managed a mere four goals in 29 matches across all competitions.
Upon returning to his parent club Monaco, he was once again loaned out to the Premier League, this time with Chelsea. However, Falcao's luck in the English top tier didn't improve, as he netted just one goal in 12 appearances before a severe thigh injury prematurely ended his season.
In 2019, Falcao secured a permanent move to Galatasaray, where he spent two years before making a return to Spain with Rayo Vallecano. After a three-year stint back in La Liga, Falcao returned to his native Colombia to play for Millonarios, where he continues to ply his trade.