For years Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have reigned supreme as the best players in the world. But one man is looking to step into that same spotlight: Radamel Falcao.
The Colombian striker is a humble devout young man, but he is one of the most lethal strikers, if not the most, in the entire world. Atletico Madrid Coach Diego Simeone has already proclaimed Falcao in the top three and while bias certainly has a lot to do with it (he is Falcao's coach afterall), he may not be completely off in his perceptions. The 26 year old is tied with Ronaldo with 9 goals in La Liga this season, but he also has an assist. He has rejuvenated his Colombian side to third place in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers Standings, and Atletico is off to the best start in 20 years thanks to his prowess.
Many pundits feel that he is slated for a move since Atletico has a penchant for being unable to keep their players and Falcao has stated his interest in moving to England. With Brazilian phenom Neymar looking to stay put, it seems that Falcao's stock has risen and he is listed as a potential for a few different English teams.
The two most prominent at the moment are Chelsea and Manchester City. Chelsea has relied on Fernando Torres and his form has been sloppy at best. His latest display at the Champions League against Shakhtar Donetsk could be the final straw for the striker who is nearing age 30 and is on his way out. Neymar was widely believed to be a replacement for Torres due to his strong friendship with Chelsea's own Oscar. Chelsea has also been linked to trying to obtain Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Andre Schurrle, but Falcao is by far the most promising figure.
Meanwhile Man City has its own issues up top. Carlos Tevez or Sergio Aguero seem to suffice for now, but the guy who was supposed to step up and take charge up top was Mario Balotelli. The Italian's disputes with coach Roberto Mancini are well documented and Balotelli can be quite unreliable. His stormy personality and his immaturity make him inconsistent and difficult to work with. Falcao is the polar opposite in attitude and work ethic and could be the antidote up top for Man City.
Other teams linked to trying for Falcao include Paris-St. Germain, Real Madrid, and Arsenal. Real Madrid would be an interesting proposition considering the idea of Ronaldo and Falcao teaming up. With Karim Benzema being inconsistent and Gonzalo Higuain not getting much playtime under Jose Mourinho, Falcao could be the finisher this team wants.
The transfer window starts in January.