Falcao to replace Balotelli?

The latest hot gossip from the touchlines of soccer pitches across Europe is that the formidable Colombian striker Radamel Falcao could be replacing Mario Balotelli at Manchester City Football Club, after the Italian striker was caught partying twelve hours before a game. However...

However, putting things into context and separating hype from fiction, Mario Balotelli had been dropped from Manchester City's squad the day before the game against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester and therefore was not breaking any club rules when he appeared at Manchester's restaurant and bar/club Panacea with a large group of friends at one o'clock in the morning on Saturday, when the team was due to play twelve and a half hours later (13.30).

Technically, he could have been called upon to join the squad had any of City's other strikers been taken ill or sustained an injury. There are stories of "raised eyebrows" and "tut-tuts" at City and there are those who say this is the last drop after previous incidents of unacceptable behaviour from Balotelli.

Whether or not this is the case, the fact is that the name of Colombian striker Radamel Falcao (Atlético Madrid) has been raised, along with that of his agent, the powerful Jorge Mendes, who has apparently already held talks with City head coach Roberto Mancini.

Everyone knows these days that agents make their living through transfers of players. No move, no money. The plot is further thickened by talk about unofficial talks between Manchester City and the two Milan clubs, AC Milan and Inter Milan, regarding a transfer of Balotelli back to Italy, paving the way for Radamel Falcao swapping Spain's Primera Liga for the English Premier League, possibly for a 45 million-pound transfer fee.

Manchester City paid Inter Milan 24 million pounds for Balotelli in 2010. Since joining City, he has scored 27 goals in 60 appearances, while Falcao has scored 49 goals in 60 games at Atlético (and previously 72 goals in 87 appearances at FC Porto since moving from Argentina's River Plate in 2009).

Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey

Pravda.Ru