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Liverpool To Seal Late €3.5m Deal With ‘New Tevez’?

A late swoop could see the Reds usurp Benfica for the forward Radamel Falcao.

Liverpool have reportedly tabled an offer to sign River Plate striker Radamel Falcao.

Falcao appeared set to sign for Benfica after River Plate paid off the €400,000 debt they had to the the Colombian forward.

However, according to news daily A Bola, Liverpool have lodged a late €3.5 million offer to beat Benfica to the signing of the player.

Although Liverpool’s bid is slightly inferior to the one made by Benfica, the prospect of playing in the Premier League may prompt Falcao to choose Anfield as his final destination.

Benfica and River Plate are thought to have agreed a €4 million deal for 80 per cent of Falcao’s playing rights, but the final decision now rests on the striker’s shoulders.

From Wikipedia.

Radamel Falcao García Zárate (born 10 February, 1986 in Santa Marta, Colombia) is a Colombian football forward who plays for River Plate of the Primera División League. He has represented Colombia at the U-17, U-20 and Senior levels.
Contents
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* 1 Background
* 2 Beginnings
* 3 Early career
* 4 Career Statistics
* 5 Titles
* 6 References
* 7 External links

[edit] Background

He prefers to be called by his middle name, Falcao, though he is sometimes referred to by the nickname El Tigre. Falcao is a dynamic striker noted for his ability to finish with both feet, a strong burst of pace and his intensity of play. Falcao is a second generation footballer. His father, Radamel García, played professionally as a defender in Colombia. Falcao is named after the 1980s Brazilian and Roma legend Falcão. He is a devout Christian and leader of the church youth groups "Locos por Jesus" and "Campeones para Cristo".[1]

[edit] Beginnings

As a youth, Falcao began playing at Fair Play, a Colombian soccer school, before joining the youth system of Bogota's Millonarios club. At the age of 15, Falcao was discovered by River Plate while playing for the Colombian U-17 side and was recruited to join the Argentine side's legendary youth academy and reserve system. Before signing his first professional contract with River Plate, Falcao had begun studies in Journalism at the University of Palermo in Buenos Aires.

[edit] Early career

At 20, Falcao debuted scoring two goals in his first start with the River Plate first team. He quickly built a reputation scoring seven goals in his first seven starts, before tearing the anterior cruciate ligaments in his right knee during the offseason of 2005. This injury subsequently caused him to miss an extensive amount of games.

Recovering from the long period of inactivity that followed, Falcao struggled to regain fitness throughout 2006 and the Spring of 2007 as nagging injuries continually derailed comeback attempts. In the fall of 2007, Falcao returned to River's starting line up, and began to deliver on his early promise scoring a series of crucial game winning goals for his side. On September 27, 2007 Falcao scored a hat-trick for River Plate against Botafogo, with the last goal coming in injury time, to guarantee River Plate a place in the quarterfinals of the Copa Sudamericana 2007 - his goals helped overturn a two goal deficit that River faced with only nine men on the pitch. Falcao subsequently scored a long range goal against Defensor Sporting to qualify River Plate to the semifinals of the Copa Suramericana 2007. Falcao also scored his first goal in the famed Superclásico derby between River Plate and Boca Juniors on October 7, 2007. Concurrently, Falcao represented the Colombian National Team in qualifying for World Cup 2010, earning call ups to all of Colombia's fixtures and starts against Brazil and Venezuela.

Based on his performances in 2007, Falcao was voted a member of the prestigious "XI of America" in the annual survey of South American sports journalists conducted by El Pais de Montevideo.[2] Falcao came in fifth in overall voting for South American player of the year in the same survey.

Playing under Diego Simeone, Falcao won his first trophy on June 22, 2008 as River Plate finished champions of the Argentine Clausura 08. In Simeone's 4-2-3-1 formation, Falcao adapted from his usual role as centerforward to play in the middle of an attacking midfield trio. Falcao finished River's top scorer in the Spring semester with 11 goals (6 in the League and 5 in the Copa Libertadores). He was also River's top scorer in aggregate across the 07-08 period with 19 goals in 35 starts in all competitions across the autumn and spring seasons.

Falcao has been chosen by Pele to a friendly whose opponent is yet to be decided although it is believed to be either Real Madrid or AC Milan

[edit] Career Statistics

Correct as of June 21, 2009[3]
Season Team League Copa Libertadores[Note 1] Total
Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists
Apertura 2005 River Plate 8 7 1 3 0 0 11 7 1
Apertura 2006 12 1 2 1 0 0 13 1 2
Clausura 2007 8 2 0 4 0 2 12 2 2
Apertura 2007 11 5 0 6 4 1 17 9 1
Clausura 2008 16 6 0 7 4 1 23 10 1
Apertura 2008 15 5 0 2 1 0 17 6 0
Clausura 2009 17 8 ? 4 2 ? 21 10 ?
Total 87 34 5 27 11 4 114 45 9

That's not a very high goal return.

Scores every 2.5 games which isn't too bad. Doesn't offer much in the way of assist though which is a concern though!!

But from what i have seen, he is a good header of the ball and has a wicked 30 yard shot.

mark gonzalez was touted as the next big thing when he was signed. had quite an impressive youtube video of him. but when he came to liverpool, did not quite blend in and was not suited for the english game. i hope we are not making the same mistake here.

good player
god deal

good player
good deal

I guess we will just have to give him a go and judge him on what he does on the pitch.

Not signed yet but from all reports as good as.