Manchester United Transfers: 5 Reasons Radamel Falcao Is Not the Answer

In the eyes of many, Manchester United reclaimed their pedigree in the transfer market this summer past, even if it had never been lost in the first place.

Robin van Persie's move to Manchester was seen as a statement of intent from Sir Alex Ferguson and the club that they could still lure the world's greatest players to Old Trafford. The £50 million spent on Ashley Young, David de Gea and Phil Jones in 2011 was big money, but none were established world-beaters.

With the signing of van Persie due to pay dividends far beyond the current term, a significant number of fans of the Red Devils are crying out for a similar approach to the market this year.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Mario Gotze have both been linked with moves to Manchester, but the current rumour that has had the world buzzing for the past 11 days is that regarding Radamel Falcao (via Daily Mail, The Sun).

According to the Daily Mail, "Ferguson has joined the hunt for Atletico Madrid's £47million-rated striker [and is] prepared to let striker Javier Hernandez move to Madrid as part of the deal."

The Colombian hitman is one of the elite forwards in the game, scoring 49 goals in La Liga over the last two seasons. He is pacy, possesses exceptional technique, is powerful in the air and clinical in the box. In essence, he is one of the best two or three strikers in the game today.

But this article does not take the view that United should break the bank to sign Falcao, rather the opposite.

Here are five reasons why.

Worth

I'll kick things off with an assessment of Radamel Falcao's worth. Not his cost, his worth.

Few could argue if Chelsea chose to shell out £47 million on the Colombian this summer, but for Manchester United, it would not be worth making him the club's biggest transfer ever.

Two of the three biggest fees the Red Devils have paid have been transfer flops (Dimitar Berbatov and Juan Sebastian Veron). This isn't to say that Falcao would be a flop, but such an extraordinary price would always carry high risk.

With the club's owners, the Glazers, neck-high in debt, money would be far better spent in other areas of the pitch.

United spent £25 million on Robin van Persie last August, who had just turned 29 at the time. Radamel Falcao is now 27, and a player who is arguably no better than the Dutchman.

The Red Devils must not pay almost twice what they did for van Persie, for Falcao. It just wouldn't be worth it.

Chicharito

The potential arrival of Falcao at Old Trafford would surely represent the demise of Javier Hernandez, whether he is included in any swap-plus-cash deal or not.

This would be a fate the Mexican striker does not deserve.

Since moving to United, Hernandez has been wholly professional in his attitude to development and progression. His strike rate this season (1.75 in all competitions) is far improved from 2011/12 (3), despite the diminishing of his game time and starts.

There have been suggestions that he has not looked the same player since his excellent debut campaign, but this is an unfair one.

Hernandez struck 20 goals in 45 total appearances in 2010/11; he has scored 16 in 28 appearances this term. Hardly a drop in form.

Midfield

A club's activity in the transfer market should ideally repair weaknesses in the squad's makeup.

All of Manchester United's current issues lie in the midfield.

Michael Carrick has been the only consistent midfield player this term, but has lacked able support in the box-to-box role alongside him.

The Red Devils are in need of a physical, yet technically able player in the middle of the park. Think Yaya Toure or Arturo Vidal.

The side has also struggled with its wide play. Ashley Young, Antonio Valencia and Nani have all had below-par campaigns to say the least.

Addressing these issues should be the priority for Sir Alex and the Glazers.

Tactics

If Sir Alex has genuine designs on bringing Radamel Falcao to Old Trafford, he must have a clear idea of how the Colombian would fit in with the team's tactics.

The most logical formation to suit both him and Robin van Persie would be the 4-4-2, but reverting to this classically British formation would be akin to Manchester United going back to the dark ages.

The importance of the trequartista, especially in the European game, is crucial.

There is the diamond formation, but this is not a long-term solution, rather a stop-gap for catching opponents off-guard.

Many fans of the club, myself included, have spoken of a longing for a return to the 4-3-3, the formation that last led the club to Champions League glory.

But both Falcao and van Persie operate best as the lone striker in a central role, not as a wide forward often pushed out to the flanks.

Goals

We all know how prolific Radamel Falcao has been at Atletico Madrid, and at Porto before that, but do Manchester United really need his goals?

While the defence was shipping goals at an alarming rate during the first half of the season, the Red Devils' attack essentially won games by itself, scoring more than its opponents.

When Robin van Persie isn't firing on all cylinders, the team has Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez to fall back on.

Goals have been scored at crucial moments of games. Late winners have continued to be United's speciality. One must remember, before van Persie's arrival last summer, it was Wayne Rooney who carried the goalscoring burden.

Who's to say that, should Falcao move to United, van Persie's position at the club wouldn't be marginalised in the same way Rooney's has this term?

Do you think Manchester United should spend big to land Falcao? Or is it a move more in the realm of fantasy football or video games?