Chelsea Transfer Rumors: 5 Reasons Why Losing Falcao Is Not a Loss at All

Earlier this morning Chelsea transfer target Radamel Falcao signed a new contract with his current club, FC Porto, extending his contract and raising the release clause from €30m up to a reported €45m.

This latest development has all, but ended speculation that the Colombian striker will be at Stamford Bridge next season.

Falcao became linked to a move to Chelsea almost immediately following the appointment of Andre Villa-Boas as the Blues new head coach. The 25-year-old was extremely productive in his second year under the Portuguese boss, scoring a total of 39 goals in all competitions, including a record 18 in the Europa Cup.

Numbers like this would make him a wanted player at nearly any club. His natural knack for finding the back of the net almost seems innate at times. But a move to Chelsea seemed impractical.

As a supporter I of course would like any player that would help Chelsea improve as a team. I believe had Falcao come to West London, he would have been a valuable asset and a key to any success they would have.

With that said it was also never essential that they chase him to the end of the world to get him to sign. Here are five reasons why Chelsea will be fine without him in the lineup.

Portuguese League vs. the EPL

To say there is a difference in level of play between the English Premier League and the Portuguese Primeria Liga would be to state the obvious. There is more money in England, what brings in better players, making it a more talented and competitive league.

More subtly the variations in style of play could greatly affect Falcao's play.

Like most mid level leagues, they tend to orient themselves around the style of play of their national squad. Portugese traditionally has models that are more akin to Brazil or Spain. They like to play the ball in the midfield, hold possession, and play it through to strikers up top.

Defense is usually an after thought. And even when it is played, it is often done in a non-physical manner. Defenders will stay off forwards, instead attempting to play positionally and using traps to mitigate them.

Falcao thrived in this environment. He is incredibly talented at finding open space and giving his wingers a clear pass to him. If you were to watch his some of his goals from last season, you would see that he scored many of them from an unmarked position, where he has not had a defender within five yards of him since crossing half.

This would not be the case in England. Big strong defenders like Nemanja Vidic, Kolo Toure, Daniel Agger would not allow him this free space. Most managers would have their center backs keep a hand on his chest the entire match, knocking him off balance and frustrating him to the point where he takes himself out of the game.

Frees Up Money for Other Signings

While a release clause of €30m is not a bankrupting sum in this day and age, it is still a substantial chunk of change to spend on one player.

It is more than likely that had he been purchased for that amount, the club would have gotten at least broken even on its investment. At the same time it would have been money that needs to be used to help build up other aspects of the team that are requiring more attention.

Many have attributed Chelsea's woes last year to a lack of creativity in the midfield. Because of this, Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric has become the number one target for the Blues this offseason.

However, Sprus boss Harry Redknapp and chairman Daniel Levy have made it difficult to lure him away from White Hart Lane.

The Croatian handed in his transfer request Thursday, but it was immedialty rebuffed by the club's heads. Redkanpp stated, "We know Luka wants to leave. Writing it down on a piece of paper doesn't make much difference to our stance."

When dealing with minds like this there is only one way to get them to open up...money. It looks like right now it will cost in excess of £30m to bring him to the club. The money saved from not triggering the release clause could go to helping fund this much more necessary move.

Furthermore, an unplanned event has left Chelsea lacking depth in the midfield. After Michael Essien was ruled out for at least the first half of the season, it has left John Obi Mikel as the only true holding midfielder. You cannot expect him to be involved in all games and if he were to sustain an injury, it could really strain the bench.

They Don't Really Need Him

Dider Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Fernando Torres, Salomon Kalou, Daniel Sturridge, and Gael Kakuta. Those are the forwards currently on the Chelsea roster.

Of those six names Drogba and Anelka have led the Premier League in scoring, Drogba, Anelka, and Torres have at one point in their career been argued as the best striker in the world, and Sturridge has progressed to the point where his position as a future star is looking ever brighter.

The question then becomes where would Falcao fit into this system?

As it stands now, some shuffling of players will have to take place and eventually some will be sold, if AVB is to continue with his 4-3-3 attacking formation.

Drogba, Anelka, and Kalou are all comfortable on the wing, but like Falcao,  Torres only makes sense in the middle. If Falcao were to come, it would put the managers purchase vs. the owners.

At £50 million it is very difficult to justify him sitting on the bench, even last season when he wasn't performing. But at the same time, Falcao would not want to come to be a sub as well. Not to mention that €30 million on the bench is not that much better.

It is also safe to assume that Torres' struggles will not continue forever. He is too good and too talented of a striker to not be able to find the net. He had plenty of opportunities last year, but some bad luck and poor finishing early on led to increasing frustration. Eventually his quest for a goal became the focus of the club and was more a personal feat than to help the team.

With AVB now there, Torres should prosper under a style that better suits his play. Falcao and the Spaniard are similar. They both require good midfield and outside players to get them the ball on runs into the box where they can finish with only one or two touches.

They do not prefer the ball on their feet and are better at moving when they can pick out open spots on a defense. The 4-3-3 will open up more room for Torres making him just as, if not more, effective than Falcao.

Inflated Numbers

I am going to write this with hesitation, but I think it is safe to make this claim.

The most appealing aspect Falcao brings to the table is unarguably huge numbers. In two seasons at Porto he played in 85 games and scored 73 goals. These statistics are incredible and can make any owner foam at the mouth for a player that produces that much tangible offense.

But the numbers can be a little deceptive when looked at more closely.

While Falcao is a great player, he is surrounded by amazing talent as well. His flanking winger, Hulk and Silvestre Varela, consistently worked the outside drawing defense to them and away from the middle. Falcao was often simply the man who redirected the ball into the goal as opposed to the player who created the goal.

It is important to have a player who can finish like Falcao, but any great forward could have put up the numbers that he did. As I already said, Chelsea has plenty of great forwards who can fit the same role.

It is also possible that the players he is around in Porto are better for him to play with. Chemistry does not exist with a coach only. The players must be able to understand each other on the field to be able to connect the way Falcao dose with his team mates at Porto.

Villa-Boas Will Honor His Promise

I have been a very big fan of the way Villa-Boas has conducted himself thus far at Stamford Bridge. He has been an example of class and respectability as he has not come in there, gutted the squad, and rebuilt it to his liking.

His promise to the current players that he is happy with them and does not feel the need to make radical changes has been lived up to.

It makes sense if you look at this track record. When he came into Porto he only brought in a one or two players that had a major impact in the season. This moves were only done to replace players who had left for bigger clubs. He also promoted players within the system already.

If he were to bring in Falcao as his first signing, he would be telling the other forwards that he does not necessarily believe in them. Egos like Anelka and Drogba may be offended by the move and Torres could be discouraged.

It would also perhaps see him losing the locker room. If he had made an empty promise once, what is to say he will not do it again. The veterans who are not only the leaders on the team, but legends for the club could feel threatened and react negatively.

I think this reason more than any is why Villa-Boas did not actively (or at least publicly) go after the Colombian.

Let's not forget Villa-Boas is a great scout. Perhaps he noticed that the only thing Chelsea was lacking is some confidence.