Radamel Falcao’s season-long loan to Manchester United will cost the Old Trafford club a staggering £24 million, with the forward’s £346,000-a-week Monaco salary being paid in full by United.
United have secured the biggest coup of transfer deadline day by completing a loan deal for the Colombian forward, with an agreement in place for manager Louis van Gaal to sign the 28-year-old on a permanent basis next summer.
But the cost of signing Falcao, who had also been offered to Manchester City, Arsenal and Real Madrid, will inflict a significant dent in United’s bank account with the club also paying a £6 million loan fee to Monaco.
Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has opted against a move for Falcao, despite French forward Olivier Giroud being sidelined with a broken foot until the new year.
And City also rejected the chance to pursue a move for the forward with thePremier League champions told that they would have to pay Falcao’s £18 million annual salary, plus a £10 million loan fee, to make the deal happen.
Senior figures at Old Trafford have insisted that they have negotiated a smaller loan fee with Monaco, but the club have confirmed that Falcao’s wages will be their responsibility.
Falcao landed in Manchester on Monday evening to undergo a medical at the club’s Aon Training Centre before finalising his transfer.
The former Atletico Madrid forward, who completed a €60 million move to Monaco in the summer of 2013, missed the World Cup as a result of a cruciate ligament injury suffered while playing for the French club in January.
Falcao returned to action during pre-season, when he played against Arsenal for Monaco in the Emirates Cup, but he has yet to fully prove his fitness following the injury.
With United already spending £146.3 million on new signings this summer, Falcao’s arrival will take the recruitment outlay beyond £150m with the loan fee.
Falcao is expected to leave Manchester upon completion of his medical this evening in order to link up with the Colombia squad ahead of this weekend’s friendly against Brazil in Miami. The Telegraph
