Chelsea Transfer News: Radamel Falcao Deal 'Completed,' Sergio Ramos Linked

Chelsea have "completed" a deal to sign Monaco striker Radamel Falcao, according to Portuguese publication Record (h/t Marc Williams of the Daily Star).

Williams' article suggests personal terms have been agreed and that an official announcement will be made in the coming week. BeIN Sports anchor Richard Keys provided further information:

Blues boss Jose Mourinho made no attempt to hide his affection for Falcao during a recent interview with DirecTV Sports (h/t BBC Sport), saying: "If I can help Falcao reach his level again, I will do it. It hurts me that people in England think that the real Falcao is the one we saw at Manchester United."

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Falcao scored just four Premier League goals on loan at the Red Devils during the 2014-15 season. He worked hard to retain fitness after last year's knee injury and cannot be faulted for effort, but the end product was severely lacking throughout the campaign. So much so, 12 of his 26 domestic division appearances came from the bench, per WhoScored.com.

The Colombian appeared in his nation's 1-0 Copa America loss to Venezuela on Sunday night. This competition has the potential to provide Falcao with an opportunity to regain his confidence. However, he struggled on the South American stage according to Marca's player ratings, tweeted by Sport Witness:  

Rik Sharma of the MailOnline wrote "El Tigre was less of a tiger than a pussycat" during the match. He also suggested "there is the distinct possibility the hitman will follow in the footsteps of Andriy Shevchenko and Fernando Torres" at Chelsea, in that he will join after suffering a knee problem and is not destined to reach his best form ever again.

Mourinho could easily return the player to form—the likes of Eden Hazard, Willian and Cesc Fabregas will provide sharper service than United managed to—but it's difficult to suggest Falcao will receive a consistent run of games.

Dropping Diego Costa isn't an option, and it seems unlikely Mourinho would move away from one up top to facilitate Falcao.

Chelsea to Join Ramos Race?

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A report in the Sunday People (h/t Williams) suggests Chelsea may rival United for the signing of Real Madrid centre-back Sergio Ramos.

Williams notes the Red Devils will offer £20 million for the Spaniard who is yet to sign a new contract at the Bernabeu. His contract concludes in July 2017, per Transfermarkt.co.uk, but his value will begin to drop if an extension isn't inked soon.

Mourinho worked with Ramos at Madrid and would know exactly what he's getting. The 29-year-old is combative, a smart reader of the game and excellent with the ball at his feet.

He can also be deployed at right-back and is confident enough to step into midfield, although he struggled to compete against Juventus' central duo of Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal when deployed in this position during the recent Champions League loss.

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Rene Ramos, the player's agent, previously suggested Sergio could eventually leave the Spanish capital, reported by Anthony Chapman of the Express: "For now there are no talks (with Madrid). Perhaps it is best if he doesn't finish his career at Real Madrid but at another club. We never know."

However, Sport Witness plays down the claims he may exit:

Ramos remains a top-class defender and someone who could make an instant impact in the Premier League. It seems unlikely new Madrid boss Rafa Benitez would willingly lose one of the squad's leaders prior to his first year in charge. It's debatable whether he'd sell to former club Chelsea, too.

Mourinho should be seeking minimal changes throughout the summer. Those coming in must improve on the already excellent strength-in-depth at Chelsea, a side who cantered to the 14-15 Premier League title by eight points.