Radamel Falcao is currently on a season-long loan to Manchester United from AS Monaco, but the Colombian striker is determined to make it permanent.
Falcao has spoken out about his return from injury and spending plenty of time on the bench, as his return to fitness had coincided with United’s remarkable six-game winning streak which has seen them rise to third in the Premier League.
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Despite that, Falcao, 28, is keen to stay at United past this season but knows he must play more and deliver goals to help the Red Devils return to the top four of the PL.
As for his recent injuries, Falcao is keen to get back in Louis van Gaal’s good books but knows he faces stiff competition from his in-form teammates.
“I am almost at 100 per cent now, so let’s wait and see what the decision of the coach is, when he wants to use me more,” Falcao said. “We have a group of strikers who are very good and that’s good for everyone. That means there is always a level of competition between us, healthy competition, and obviously I am very happy with how the team is doing.”
The former Atletico Madrid and FC Porto striker confirmed he has a good relationship with United’s manager van Gaal but as Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie continue to bang in the goals -- Rooney has three goals in his last four games, while RVP has four goals in his last four appearances -- game-time has become hard to come by for the man known as El Tigre back in Colombia.
At the moment it is costing United a combined total (wages and loan fee) $30 million to have Falcao on loan for this season and the predatory forward has only scored one Premier League goal in eight appearances. With Rooney, RVP and promising youngster James Wilson ahead of him in the pecking order, Falcao will likely get a chance to start and play significant minutes over the busy festive period as van Gaal rotates his squad.
Hearing from contacts in Manchester over the weekend, Falcao is likely to be given until April 2015 to prove his fitness before United make a final decision on whether or not to sign him in a deal which could be worth over $50 million. Right now, that’s not looking likely as the majority of Falcao’s young United career has been spent on the bench or in the treatment room.
If he’s going to stick around that needs to change, fast.