Radamel Falcao: 'Anti-Real Madrid' clause

When Radamel Falcao opted to stay at Atletico Madrid last summer for another season, despite being the subject of dizzying offers of over 45 million euros, he did so conscious of the fact that he owed something to the club with whom he had reached global fame. He insisted he was staying because he was enjoying himself at the Calderón, and the board and coach Cholo Simeone wanted him to stay on for another season so they could buy some time to prepare for his eventual inevitable departure.

Radamel Falcao

The president, the coaching staff and players are now resigned to the fact he will depart the club this summer for greener pastures, leaving a hole in the squad but filling a gap in their accounts in times of need (they still owe Porto two installments for Falcao which they are unable to pay at the moment.)

According to sources from one English club interested in signing the player, Falcao has done something else to help Atletico. His contract is believed to contain an 'anti-Real Madrid' clause that will please fans of Los Rojiblancos and soften the blow of seeing the Colombian in a white shirt if he does end up at the Bernabéu. Falcao will cost any club 60 million euros (Chelsea made a bid for 55 million in the summer and Atletico will not sell the player for any less than 60m). But, if Madrid do come knocking on the door, his price will rise to 75 million euroos. However, sources from Atleti consulted by AS maintain that Falcao will not be playing for Real Madrid next season, and do not even rule out the possibility that the Colombian will still be at Atleti in 2013-14.

The destination of the striker is still unclear, but the cost of the move is cooling Real Madrid's interest. In the last four months a rumour has been circulating that Falcao has told his own team-mates that he will be at the Bernabéu next season, like Kun Aguero did, even though in the end Manchester City showed greater interest and had deeper pockets. City are another club interested in signing Falcao. Uncertainty surrounds the future of their coach, with Manuel Pellegrini and Ernesto Valverde touted as possible replacements to Roberto Mancini, while forwards Carlos Tévez and Edin Dzeko likely to leave, making way for either Napoli striker Edison Cavani or Falcao.

According to sources at Chelsea, Falcao is set to join the West London club this summer, but if the rumours prove true, he will cost them a significant amount more than if they had listened to the petitions of then coach André Villas-Boas, who coached Falcao at Porto and wanted to bring him to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2011. Another option is Paris Saint-Germain, a club the player spoke highly of in an interview with French TV programme 'Telefoot' in January, when he declared: "France is a marvellous country, I've been there before and I love it. PSG have a very ambitious sporting project and have invested a vast amount of money in order to build a competitive team."

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