Chelsea and Monaco have confirmed that Colombian striker Radamel Falcao will play for Jose Mourinho's side next season.
The English and French sides both shared the widely-expected news via Twitter, with the player going on a season-long loan with an option to buy.
"I am very happy to be joining Chelsea and can't wait to start training and help with our aim of retaining the league title and being successful in Europe," said Falcao.
The 29-year-old endured a miserable spell at Manchester United last season, his reputation nose diving via a succession of missed chances that quickly saw him relegated to a bit-part player making occasional appearances from the bench.
To no great surprise United did not take up their option to buy a player who had apparently become as toothless at United as he had been lethal during his spells with Porto and Atletico Madrid.
Yet with Monaco determined to put him out on loan once more - no doubt to mitigate his reported €250,000-a-week wages - Chelsea stepped forward as unlikely suitors.
IS MOURINHO REALLY THE MAN TO HELP FALCAO GET HIS MOJO BACK?
Just a few weeks ago Jose Mourinho said that, "It hurts me that people in England believe that Falcao is the one seen at Manchester United. He is a player who I know, who I have followed since Atlético Madrid, and if I can help Falcao to reach his level, I will do it.”
That now seems to be Mourinho's plan - and if the Portuguese boss successfully resurrects the Colombian's career, it will leave Chelsea with a strikeforce better than any in Europe save perhaps the awesome front three at Barcelona. A fully fit and fully firing Falcao in combination with the rampaging Diego Costa would be a devastating combination.
Mourinho's method since rejoining Chelsea suggests that he could be the man to get things right with Falcao. Cesc Fabregas is back to being one of the best midfielders in Europe after his often disappointing spell at Barcelona, while the flourishing of Nemanja Matic has been extraordinary under Mourinho's tutelage.
Yet there have been disasters as well. Kevin de Bruyne, Juan Mata and Juan Cuadrado have all seen their careers founder in the Mourinho regime - and De Bruyne's re-emergence as a supreme talent since his move to Wolfsburg suggests that there are some talents Mourinho is simply unable to harness.
- Source: Eurosport
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