Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal is set to take his spending to £150million after the club agreed a loan fee for Monaco’s Colombian striker Radamel Falcao in a dramatic climax to transfer deadline day.
United agreed a loan fee of between £5 million and £6 million for Falcao who was due to fly to Manchester on Monday evening for a medical. The move was also pending an agreement on personal terms, with United also having agreed an option to take the 28-year-old on a permanent basis at the end of the season.
A deal for one of the most sought-after strikers in the game would see United beat both Manchester City and Arsenal to the signature of the forward, who would form a fearsome strike trio with Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney.
Meanwhile, Javier Hernandez has joined Real Madrid on loan with a similar option for the Spanish club to buy the 26-year-old at the end of the season.
United had not been expected to make another major signing after reaching an agreement to sign Daley Blind from Ajax, but the chance to land Falcao has proved too tempting especially with Hernandez and possibly Danny Welbeck leaving Old Trafford.
It would mean another season without Champions League football for Falcao, but that is not something that has concerned him in the past — indeed not since he was with Porto in the 2009-10 season has he played in UEFA’s top club competition.
The player had been looked at by Arsenal and City but both clubs had baulked had the size of the loan fee and his wages.
Meanwhile, United are also expect to confirm the completion of Blind’s move after agreeing a deal for the 24-year-old, who can play in defence or as a defensive midfielder.
The signings add up to a record outlay for the club who have also splashed out £59.7million for Angel di Maria, £27million for Luke Shaw, £15million for Marcos Rojo, £28million for Ander Herrera as well as £13.85million for Blind.
Blind was a key part of Van Gaal’s Holland team during the World Cup.
The player told Fox Sports at the weekend: “I am enormously proud to be at one of the biggest clubs in the world. Everything has happened so suddenly.”
Meanwhile, United are still waiting for Rojo’s visa to come through but that will not affect the Argentina defender’s transfer — the international transfer certificate has been received confirming his move from Sporting Lisbon.
United confirmed that Hernandez has joined Real Madrid on loan for the rest of the season. The Mexico striker moved to United from Chivas de Guadalajara in 2010 and scored 59 goals in 154 appearances.
