Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao's five goals against Deportivo La Coruna last weekend took his tally to a sensational 55 goals in 65 games since he joined the Spanish club from Porto in 2011.
His goalscoring exploits began when he hit 34 goals in 43 games for Porto in the 2009-10 season and it had been suggested that he would follow Andre Villas-Boas to Chelsea when he hit another 38 goals in the following campaign.
However, it was Atletico that moved to sign the powerful striker, where he has evolved into one of the best out-and-out attackers in world football.
Despite the fact that his current club sit second in La Liga with a real chance of the Spanish title and Champions League football next season, it is expected that he will depart either in January or at the end of the season.
He has a £46m buy-out clause in his contract, however, and with that in mind Sports Mole has picked out five possible destinations for the 26-year-old.
Chelsea:
Fernando Torres has hit a slight bit of form in the past few weeks, but it is no secret that the Blues are keen to acquire another forward in the January window. Daniel Sturridge, who is currently injured, is expected to join Liverpool in a move that would leave the club desperately short in attack.
It remains to be seen, however, if owner Roman Abramovich would be prepared to offer the figure required with the loss of funds due to their elimination from the Champions League. It had previously been expected that Atletico would accept less than £46m, but due to the interest it has become accepted that nothing but the full amount will be considered.
Barcelona:
While Lionel Messi continues to rattle in the goals week in, week out, David Villa has become a bit-part player at the Catalan club as he continues to struggle to find his best form following a spell on the sidelines. They do have young attackers coming through the system – as you would expect – but not in the mould of a number nine.
The last time they made a big-money move for a striker was for the supremely talented Zlatan Ibrahimovic and although the Swedish international scored a host of goals, he didn't really fit into the mould of how a Barcelona player should act. The acquisition of Falcao would also force Messi into a wider position, which could ultimately quell any possible move.
Real Madrid:
Throughout their history, Madrid have been known as the 'Galacticos'. It would be fair to state that Jose Mourinho has moved the club away from that name, but they are a side that are not afraid to spend big. Cristiano Ronaldo's future at the club remains uncertain, along with his manager, and losing either or both in the summer could ultimately decide whether they make a move.
However, unlike Barcelona, Madrid do have options in the striking role with Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain. The acquisition of Falcao would be the clearest indication yet that neither is really trusted to perform and score goals on a consistent basis. There is no doubt that Falcao would fit into Madrid's style of football, but whether he would be prepared to make the move to Atletico's bitter rivals is another matter entirely.
Manchester City:
The Premier League champions have an embarrassment of riches in attack with Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko, but aside from Aguero you get the feeling that boss Roberto Mancini does not really trust them to score on a consistent basis. Money would be no object in terms of the deal for Falcao, but it remains to be seen whether the Colombian would move to a club still not deemed as 'elite'.
The positive for City is that Falcao is a keen follower of the Premier League and has made no secret of his desire to play in England. It is unlikely that Manchester United would make a move, leaving City as the only contenders to challenge Chelsea from England. But with the continued uncertainness surrounding the club, he could be put off a transfer to the Etihad.
Paris Saint-Germain
Watch out, because Paris Saint-Germain are here to stay. They have splashed the cash in recent seasons to sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva & Co. but the Paris outfit are expected to spend big in the next window. They have secured qualification for the latter stages of the Champions League and currently sit second in their domestic table, but remain the strong favourites to secure the title.
The lifestyle and culture would seemingly appeal to the Colombian, as well as the challenge of making history with the French club. But with the standard of football in France incomparable to any of the top leagues, Falcao could turn down the opportunity in search of his dream to play at the highest level.
Sports Mole says: Real Madrid. Kaka is expected to depart the club in the summer and with the likes of Angel di Maria continuing to disappoint in big matches, the capital outfit could see the possibility of pairing Ronaldo and Falcao in attack too big a chance to turn down. It would mean making the switch to Atletico's biggest rivals, but it has happened before and it will happen again.
Matt Law
