Chelsea Transfer News: Radamel Falcao Targeted Amid Jonathan Calleri Rumours

On-loan Chelsea striker Radamel Falcao could be set to leave the club in January amid rumours he's being targeted by four European clubs.

According to the Mirror's John Cross, Fiorentina, Valencia, Villarreal and former club Porto have "sounded out his agent Jorge Mendes," with the Blues reportedly prepared to cut short his temporary stay at Stamford Bridge if they can replace him in January.

The news comes following Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's dismissal of rumours Falcao is seeking to leave the club. On Tuesday talkSPORT reported that the Special One said:

"First of all I don't know if it's true because to me he has said absolutely nothing in relation to that and I speak with him every day. It's quite strange that the press knows something that I don't know and that my club doesn't know. We have not one single piece of information about it."

The 29-year-old forged a reputation as one of the world's deadliest strikers in prolific spells with Porto and Atletico Madrid, where he bagged a combined tally of 142 goals in 177 games.

However, as WhoScored.com and ITV Football illustrate, the striker has struggled for form in recent seasons and has even become a figure of fun among the footballing community:

Spanish football experts Sergi Dominguez and Rafael Hernandez defended the Colombian during his fairly uninspiring loan spell with Manchester United last season:

Falcao has shown little if any improvement in his showings with Chelsea, though admittedly he has been something of a bit-part player in a team struggling far more than United did at any point last year, so once again he's not had the benefit of playing regularly in a successful and convincing team.

If he does depart, his replacement could be Boca Juniors striker Jonathan Calleri, according to Tutto Mercato Web's Andrea Losapio (via Metro's Will Giles).

The 22-year-old has racked up 20 goals and 11 assists in all competitions this year in an impressive campaign for Boca, where he now plays alongside former Juventus forward Carlos Tevez.

If the Blues are able to land his signature, here this is the kind of skill Chelsea fans will be hoping he can replicate:

As Giles noted, the Argentinian club will undoubtedly want to keep hold of their young star until at least next summer, but if Chelsea pursue him in earnest there may be little they can do.

His arrival would almost certainly spell the end of Falcao's time at Stamford Bridge, who appears to have no shortage of suitors willing to take him on.

At present Mourinho's gamble is yet to pay off, and until Chelsea seriously turn around their form, Falcao isn't likely turn around his own.