It’s decision time for Radamel Falcao

It’s clear that both Real Madrid and Monaco are eagerly waiting for Radamel Falcao to make what could be the biggest and toughest decision of his career.

Twelve months ago, Colombian striker Radamel Falcao was on top of the world. He had been matched up to two giants like Ronaldo and Messi, and was able to keep with them in terms of goal-scoring rates. He had even beaten Ronaldo in the Copa del Rey final with Atletico Madrid. Half of Europe was yearning for his signature in a piece of paper, and Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Juventus and of course Real Madrid were not shy about their intentions. Falcao could have had it all.

Instead, the Colombian decided to join newly promoted to French Ligue 1 AS Monaco. The French giant was coming out of the worst time the franchise has had in its long and lustrous history, and Falcao was the crown jewel of a project that aimed at making the team from the Principate a Champions League contender in three years or less.

The striker was joined by other superstars like James Rodriguez, Joao Moutinho, Kondogbia, Toulalan or Ricardo Carvalho, but the change in taxing regulation in Monaco made the club president, Russian Oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev, stop the spending spree and not be able to finish his masterpiece of a squad last summer.

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For Falcao it was clear right away that he had made a mistake. He was promised to play for a team that, although not competing in Europe in its first year at the club, would line up other stars the likes of Di Maria, Ronaldo, Kagawa, Tevez, etc. next to the Colombian. The interruption of the purchasing process and the inability to take advantage of a profitable tax code in Monaco left Rybolovlev with an incomplete team and Falcao with serious doubts about the competitive edge his new club would have.

PSG lead Ligue 1 from the get-go, but thanks in part to Falcao Monaco did put up a fight in the first half of the season. Then, when things were starting to come together and Radamel had gotten over the urge to join a bigger team in the winter transfer market, he tore the ACL in his left knee during a Cup match against Vannes OC, which would put an end to his season and keep him off Colombia’s list for the World Cup.

Six months later, Falcao is back in action with Monaco, and he’s had a summer filled with rumors about the next move in his career.

The Colombian has come back and is trying to prove his knee is a hundred percent again, and his game-winning goal against Arsenal has put him in the right path to do so. Now, Spanish and British dailies have been pressing on how likely it is that Falcao will end up suiting up for Real Madrid this season.

Both Monaco and the striker have denied the rumors, but The Guardian printed in its cover page the fact that when Liverpool asked about Radamel’s situation, Monaco replied he had already agreed to terms with the Merengues.

It would make sense for Real Madrid to go after Falcao, seeing as they only have one true striker in their squad, and Radamel has been a target since his days in Portugal with FC Porto.

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Yet, Falcao faces a crucial decision. On the one hand, he feels committed to a team that sees him as its hero and perhaps its only savior from anonymity. This is a team that paid 60 million euro for him and that has taken care of him during his injury and rehab period. Falcao is a very religious man and probably sees that leaving Monaco right now could be the biggest betrayal the club has suffered in its recent history.

But on the other hand there is his drive to do bigger and better things, to accomplish his dreams. The Colombian international has missed what could have been the best season of his career, and at 28 years of age he has no time to waste. Monaco has not returned to the purchasing path during this Summer transfer market, and it will be tough for them to compete at the European level and also face PSG in France.

Joining Real Madrid could get his career back on track, and the Merengues are probably the one team in the world that could also make the situation right economically with Monaco, so the club would at least find a positive note to its franchise player leaving just days before the transfer window closes shut.