Radamel Falcao to Monaco What It Would Mean for Ligue 1

The first major curveball of the summer transfer season may have been thrown over the last week as reports suggest in-demand Radamel Falcao was set to sign with AS Monaco (Metro). If these reports come true, Ligue 1 may find itself entering a season of change.

Long known for a defensive-minded style and fertile pasture of young talent, Ligue 1 has taken a backseat to the other leagues. The PSG project began to change some of that, but one team cannot do it on their own.

Enter Monaco and their hefty financial backing. With two mega money teams going head-to-head, expect the names to be big and the cost to be bigger.

With PSG and Monaco set to spend their way in an attempt to obtain European glory, what will become of Ligue 1?

For starters, the chances of a PSG dynasty have been reduced. PSG will still be the favorites going into next season, but the gap between them and their closest competitor may not be as great.

Monaco and its money will prevent PSG from going on a Lyon type of run of multiple Ligue 1 titles in a row. PSG will win its share, but with Monaco in the mix, the Ligue 1 title race will take the recent form of the La Liga race.

Monaco could very well move into Marseille territory as far as PSG rivals go. A Falcao and Zlatan Ibrahimovic battle for the top scorer is an appetizing race.

Having two stars of this caliber would give Ligue 1 a watered-down version of the hype that surrounds the Cristiano Ronaldo-Leo Messi confrontations. Ligue 1 needs to have this type of classic matchup that draws attention from outside its borders. The addition of free-spending Monaco will bring that, whether it is Falcao, Wayne Rooney or any other big name.

Having two dominant clubs is better then having only one, but the future of the rest of Ligue 1 will find itself in uncharted territory. Lyon made themselves a juggernaut for a period of time and then rebuilt themselves into contention through their youth development.

Youth development will still be key, but competing for the title in that manner will be that much harder. The top talent cultivated by the French teams may find its way to PSG and Monaco as opposed to another league. It is tough enough dealing with better-financed clubs, but when they beat you using players you developed, it takes on another dimension.

From the standpoint of attention, having Monaco bringing its money to Ligue 1 is a good thing. The talent level of players that will now consider playing in France will grow. Having more top players grace the French fields will provide fans with more star power.

At the top, the battle between Monaco and PSG will provide for some great matches and down-to-the-wire title races. From there down, fans must hope clubs like Lille, Lyon and Marseille can get themselves into the mix. Without them, Ligue 1 may turn into the PSG and Monaco show for the foreseeable future.