Opportunity missed? Chelsea could have moved for Falcao
Jose Mourinho laid bare his soul in a corridor outside the media room at the Britannia Stadium last season, writes Neil Moxley in the Sunday People.
The sermon was delivered by the upset Chelsea boss after defeat to Stoke City. His words were not for quoting by the assembled hacks, but spoken as a directive as to who his side would struggle to win the title.
The Portuguese was worried. Concerned that he did not have the firepower to blast a way past Manchester City and (at the time) Liverpool. As it turns out, he was right.
All it took this summer was £32m and a few kind words of persuasion in the direction of Diego Costa and - hey presto - the problem has disappeared.
For the moment, at least. A first look at the Brazilian-turned-Spaniard in the flesh by yours truly last week at Goodison Park was like watching a souped-up Alan Shearer. Costa runs the channels, takes people on in the air, moves into good positions, links-up well, finishes, presses...
You name it, he can do it. Never mind the ridiculous sums being spent elsewhere this summer, if there turns out to be a better value-for-money buy than the boy from Atletico... well, I'd like to see it.
However, with Fernando Torres's loan to AC Milan, it appeared as though there was one piece of the jigsaw missing. And that absent element turned out to be, er, Loic Remy.
Before I start, I have nothing against the £8.5m signing from QPR. His pace will stretch defences. He will not be banging on the manager's door, demanding to play ahead of Costa.
Clearly, he can finish. Newcastle United were desperate to re-sign him. The Magpies have been canny in the transfer market of late. But he's not proven when it matters in the Champions League. He is not regarded as a true top quality striker.
And what happens if Costa picks up a knock? Are we honestly to believe that this was Jose's Plan B?
Pretty much everyone involved in the world of football knew the £8.5m figure that would trigger the release clause in Remy's deal at QPR. Why wait? And, is he better than Torres? Questionable. So, it defies logical belief that Chelsea would risk waiting until 24 hours before the deadline to make their move.
No, the big unanswered question of the final few days is why Chelsea didn't turn to Radamel Falcao.
Think about it for a moment. Why wouldn't Mourinho be interested?
It was only last season that Chelsea's boss dropped a hint following a scouting mission, saying: "I need a striker and Falcao needs a team."
The Monaco hit-man and Mourinho share an agent. The owner of the principality's team is Russian. It's fair to say there are open lines of communication.
Would Falcao play second fiddle to Costa? Chelsea's boss has rotated big players before. That wouldn't have been a problem.
It simply doesn't make sense as to why the Special One - under pressure this year to deliver a trophy, don't forget - would not buy an insurance policy in the shape of the South American.
While Chelsea are taking Uefa's Financial Fair Play directives seriously, the deal was £12-15m in terms of a loan fee and wages. Surely, having banked £130m-plus in cash from the sales of Kevin de Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, David Luiz and Juan Mata in the past 12 months, there was room in the budget.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/chelsea-should-tried-sign-falcao-4178395#ixzz3CcnfZ8rG
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