Chelsea Transfer News: Latest on Radamel Falcao and Petr Cech Rumours

Chelsea have all but wrapped up a deal for AS Monaco striker Radamel Falcao, who is expected to take a pay cut before joining the Blues on a season-long loan after last year's spell with Manchester United.

The Colombia international failed to impress at Old Trafford, but Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes he can turn things around for the former Atletico Madrid star. And per the Daily Telegraph's Jason Burt, it seems all but certain he'll have the chance to prove so:

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Chelsea are edging closer to agreeing a deal to sign Radamel Falcao on a season-long loan from Monaco. Talks have been ongoing for the past two weeks with Chelsea having refused to budge on their insistence that Falcao takes a huge cut in his £265,000 a-week wages.

One source close to the club said that the deal was “90 per cent done”. Claims in Portugal that it is fully agreed may be premature but it appears likely a transfer will now be agreed.

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Loic Remy will most likely leave the club in order to make room for Falcao, and per Burt, several Premier League clubs are interested in his services.

Falcao was expected to lead the attack for United last season, as the biggest name to arrive at Old Trafford during a busy summer transfer window. Still recovering from a knee injury, the 29-year-old never found his groove and disappointed tremendously. The Red Devils decided against making his loan deal a permanent one.

Gianluca Di Marzio's David Amoyal took a look at Falcao's knee injury, which he suffered before the 2014 World Cup, and he believes there's a good chance the Colombian returns to his old self in 2015-16:

Sky Sports wondered about the same thing, as will most Blues fans, in all likelihood:

Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are always tricky, and it usually takes a significant amount of time before athletes regain their explosiveness. In the case of Falcao, his quickness inside the box and timely runs are a huge part of his game, so it's vital he regains full use of his knee.

Mourinho remains committed to helping the Colombian, per BBC Sport, and with Diego Costa leading the attack for Chelsea, there are few risks involved with a one-year loan deal:

Monaco have been hit with financial fair play sanctions, and they need to get the player―and his huge salary―off their books before the start of the season. The club won't give the Blues a hard time during negotiations, so the biggest obstacle will be Falcao's wages.

Per Burt, he currently makes 265,000 per week, a massive amount of money for a player who figures to start the season behind Costa in the pecking order. If Mourinho can convince Falcao to take a pay cut in order to save his career, there's no reason this transfer can't be concluded in the coming days.

Paris Saint-Germain Remain Interested in Petr Cech

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

Contrary to reports from earlier this week, French giants Paris Saint-Germain are still in the race for Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, who is widely expected to leave the club during the summer window.

Metro Sport recently noted L'Equipe reporting PSG had pulled out of the race, but the Daily Mirror's Steve Stammers knows Les Parisiens are still very much interested in making a deal happen:

Arsenal are the favourites to secure a deal for the Czech No. 1, who has lived with his family in London for years and would likely prefer not to leave the city. But speaking to BT Sport (h/t ESPN.co.uk), Mourinho indicated he would not sell to the Blues' rivals if he was the owner:

PSG have an established starter in Salvatore Sirigu, but while the Italian is an underrated player and a great stopper in his own right, he's not of the caliber of Cech, who has proven himself as one of the world's best during his time at Stamford Bridge.

The emergence of Thibaut Courtois means he's no longer a regular starter, however, and as the Belgian is the younger player, it's only natural Mourinho would opt to start him. Cech is only 33 years old, too young to spend his time sitting on the bench, and a split seems inevitable at this point.

PSG would offer Cech a great shot at silverware―they've dominated the Ligue 1 in recent years and are on the verge of making a run at the Champions League—but the Gunners remain the favourites to land his services.

As shared by Sport Witness, Tomas Rosicky told reporters his compatriot prefers a move to Arsenal while away on international duty, and such a transfer almost makes too much sense for it not to happen:

After a decade of living in the United Kingdom, it's hard to say goodbye to the people around you in order to chase a foreign adventure. Cech has a shot at breaking multiple Premier League records, and by moving to Arsenal, he'll keep those hopes alive as well.

Chelsea fans will dread the day they have to watch their longtime stopper sport the colours of Arsenal, but after a decade of loyal service to the club, Cech has earned the right to move wherever he wants.

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