Chelsea Transfer News: Latest on Radamel Falcao, Franco Vazquez Rumours

On-loan Chelsea striker Radamel Falcao could be swapping London for Milan in January, with Serie A side Inter reportedly interested in a temporary deal of their own, but only if the Colombian is prepared to lower his wage demands.

So reported the MailOnline's Oliver Todd, who noted the striker could depart Chelsea in the winter transfer window after failing to make an impact with his new side.

Formerly one of the most potent centre-forwards in world football, Falcao's form and fitness have significantly declined in recent years.

The 29-year-old bagged just four Premier League goals while on loan at Manchester United last season and thus far has managed just one in blue, as noted by WhoScored.com:

That Chelsea were willing to gamble on him after a poor campaign last year was something of a surprise, and he also failed to impress for Colombia in the Copa America, as noted by football writer Miguel Delaney:

It wouldn't be surprising if the Blues did cut their losses on him in January, as Todd reported that his wages are set at a princely £145,000 per week, though Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho recently dismissed reports that his loan spell could be terminated early.

Via the Daily Star's Jamie Anderson, he said, "I don’t know if it’s true, because to me he says absolutely nothing in relation to that, and I speak with him every day. It’s strange that the press knows something I don’t know and my club doesn’t know. We don’t have any information about this."

However, Mourinho isn't likely to acknowledge such rumours with Falcao still at the club, as an injury or suspension to Diego Costa could well force the forward back into action, and publicly confirming his intention to cut short his stay isn't likely to get the best out of him.

Chelsea's lack of cover up front equally ensures Falcao won't be released from his loan unless the Blues can replace him.

One such player they may be targeting is Palermo's Franco Vazquez, though he is more of a support striker than a natural centre-forward.

Paolo Giovannini/Associated Press

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes (h/t Metro's Jamie Sanderson), Chelsea are interested in the 26-year-old, who is "waiting to seal a transfer away."

The Italian was in electric form last season, as he recorded 10 goals and 11 assists in Serie A—enough to earn him a place in WhoScored.com's European Team of the Season alongside some esteemed names:

Here are some of his highlights:

Vazquez drew plenty of plaudits, not least because of his impact on former team-mate Paulo Dybala's form, as noted by beIN Sports' Matteo Bonetti:

His impressive creativity and strong dribbling skills would offer a welcome boost to the struggling Blues, and with the likes of Costa, Eden Hazard and Oscar among those underperforming, he could even warrant a starting berth.

As Sanderson noted, though, after losing Dybala to Juventus in the summer, Palermo will fight tooth and nail to keep Vazquez, so Chelsea will have to pay a premium price if they're to acquire his services.