Radamel Falcao Can Earn Chelsea Move with Strong Copa America 2015 Showing

Colombia are blessed with attacking options, yet they will start their Copa America campaign with a striker who scored just one goal in the last 17 games of his most recent season leading the line.

Former Manchester United striker Radamel Falcao had a disastrous season at Old Trafford, only netting four times, but he is Colombia's captain and talisman.

As such, Jose Pekerman will keep the faith in the 29-year-old striker, who found little love from Louis van Gaal with the Red Devils.

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Falcao, who is owned by Monaco and was on loan with United last season, does not want to leave the Premier League and return to the principality. He told El Tiempo, per the Copa America website:

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I know it has been speculated very much about Chelsea. I try to stay out of it. I care about working with Colombia for now. That’s what my agent does. I would like to continue in the Premier League. My future will be decided in the coming weeks.

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Anybody would like to play for the Premier League champions, but it does seem there is serious interest coming from the Blues.

In an interview with the Sunday Times (h/t the Daily Express), manager Jose Mourinho admitted the forward was one of a few players he had in mind to replace Didier Drogba. When asked about Falcao, he said:

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We lost a striker who scored four goals in the Premier League, but three of these goals meant important points for us. A striker that was very experienced, who every minute was fantastic for us, even in the last 10 minutes to hold the ball, cool down emotionally the game. So we have to buy a striker because we want to have three strikers of a good level. We do not want to have just one [on our shortlist]. Then you lose a good position on the negotiation table.

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Mourinho may be convinced to move for Falcao if he shows some improvement on his club form when in action for his country.

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Falcao has already started on that front, firing home against Costa Rica after receiving the ball from another player who suffered last season: Chelsea's Juan Cuadrado.

El Tigre now has four goals in his last five games for Los Cafeteros, and his winner in Colombia's 1-0 friendly victory gave more reason for Pekerman to start the legend when they face Venezuela on June 14 in Rancagua.

There are three other top forwards the Argentinian coach can choose in Carlos Bacca, Jackson Martinez and Teo Gutierrez.

Sevilla's Bacca scored 28 goals last season and has a Europa League trophy under his belt. Martinez notched 32 goals for Porto.

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Although Falcao netted just four, his strike against Costa Rica made him Colombia's all-time top scorer, with 25 goals in 57 matches.

Pekerman hinted Falcao and Cuadrado still needed to build match fitness but that they would do so during training and be ready to play when the Copa begins. He said, per the Copa America website:

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It was an important victory, little by little we found the tempo and we had several situations to score. I think it was a fair result, we controlled for much of the game and we are satisfied with the performance. In today's game we were a little unbalanced due to the lack of sharpness from some players, but with the work this week we'll overcome that and today we are very happy.

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It sounds like Falcao will be given the chance to keep his place for his country and earn a prolonged stay in the Premier League, potentially with champions Chelsea.