Chelsea Transfer News: Radamel Falcao Move Ruled out by Zenit, Top Blues Rumours

Zenit St Petersburg will not move to save Radamel Falcao from his Chelsea nightmare, according to the club’s manager, Andre Villas-Boas.  

The Colombian forward has found regular opportunities very difficult to come by at Stamford Bridge this season and seems to be well down the pecking order for the Blues at this juncture.

However, speaking on Zenit's official website (h/t ITV Sport), former Chelsea manager Villas-Boas revealed while they were interested in signing Falcao in the summer, they aren’t currently:

"

We tried to bring him here in the summer at the start of the season, but then the rules changed a week before the season started.

We can't bring him here because of the rules and we don't have space.

We have (Artem) Dzyuba, his form is great for the club and the national team and he deserves respect.

Due to the limitations we can't bring Falcao here, his salary is immense too and the financial rules in place prevent this, this is the rule chosen by (Zenit president) Mr Mutko and so this is impossible.

"

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Falcao may lament Zenit not making a greater play for him given his current predicament. Despite scoring a goal off of the bench earlier in the season against Crystal Palace, he’s been ineffective during his time on the pitch, showing little of the spark that formerly made him one of the world’s most feared forwards.

As noted here by football writer Jack Rathborn, there’s little to suggest things will get much better for the Colombian any time soon:

It’s a great shame but no surprise. After suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in early 2014, Falcao needed regular minutes the following season, but he often found himself on the bench for Manchester United during a loan spell.

Starts have been equally tough to come by at Chelsea, with Diego Costa and Loic Remy also vying for the sole striker berth.

If Falcao can get to a club in January where he will be guaranteed minutes, those razor-sharp instincts in front of goal could well re-emerge. The longer he spends rotting away on the substitutes bench at Stamford Bridge, the more unlikely the chances those goalscoring qualities will ever return for the former Atletico Madrid star.

Chelsea Chasing Antoine Griezmann

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Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich views Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann as the man to reinvigorate the team's attacking play, with Diego Costa apparently willing to head back to the Spanish capital as part of any potential transfer next summer.

According to Pete Jenson of the MailOnline, the Blues will not be put off by the €65 million (£47 million) release clause in Griezmann’s contract. In the piece, it’s noted the forward could well become a partner for Costa up front, although the rumbustious centre-forward may be included in the deal.

“Costa also remains in close contact with players in the Atletico Madrid dressing room,” Jenson writes. “He misses the Spanish capital and was on the brink of asking to go back at the end of last season.”

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Griezmann would certainly be a top-class addition for the Blues, having cemented his status as one of La Liga’s very best players since moving to Atletico from Real Sociedad last summer. Spanish football expert Guillem Balague recently revealed he thinks the Frenchman will leave the Vicente Calderon, having established himself as one of the world’s best, per Sky Sports La Liga:

While landing Griezmann would be some coup, losing Costa would be a big blow for the Blues. Although he’s not started this season with the same appetite for goals as his debut campaign, the 27-year-old remains an ideal centre-forward for Chelsea, with his clinical finishing, holdup play and ability to rile defenders all serving as tough qualities to replace.

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A fee of £47 million sounds significant, but Griezmann is a player who has the talent to warrant that kind of expenditure. His searing speed and direct running would give the Blues an effervescent, refreshing edge in advanced areas of the field, and at just 24 years old, he could be a key contributor at Stamford Bridge for many seasons to come.