17th May 2015: a crowd of 75,323 is at Old Trafford watching Manchester United take on Arsenal for the last home match this season. At 18:16 BST, fourth official Michael Oliver holds up his board, with United striker Robin van Persie next to him. Football fans all over the world look on to see which number is coming up. It’s the number 9. Radamel Falcao is coming off the pitch with the possibility of never playing again in the United shirt. The look on Falcao’s face shows frustration. He gets a standing ovation from the home fans, and on his way out, he waves goodbye.
No one ever thought that Falcao couldn’t be the typical goalscorer he has been in the past. 41 goals with FC Porto, 52 goals for Atletico de Madrid, 11 goals in 20 appearances with AS Monaco, and a staggering 4 goals for Manchester United.
As he waved to the fans, I thought of an interview Sky Sports had done with Falcao at the start of the season. Upon entering the dressing room, Falcao, looking stunned, said that it is truly amazing, and later said that he has joined Manchester United to help fight for the league and qualification for the Champions League. But the phrase that remained with me is when he said, “I want to be a club legend”.
Now, it is up to Louis Van Gaal to take the decision on whether or not Falcao will be in Manchester next season. If he will be staying, United will have to pay Monaco £46 million, but with just a few goals scored this season, what the Dutch manager will do is very dubious. Some United fans certainly have faith in the Colombian striker, but others are not of the same belief.
During the same match, David de Gea may have also said goodbye to the crowd for the final time. It is speculated that de Gea has agreed personal terms with Spanish giants Real Madrid and a move is imminent.
With the brink of the summer transfer window, as Van Gaal had said, “Anything is possible in football”. If Falcao stays or not, the continuous support he has received from United fans will surely remain with him.