via Liverpool.com
Colombian striker Radamel Falcao ignored overtures from clubs like Liverpool and Arsenal to join the ranks of Manchester United
Falcao dazzled the footballing world with his sensational spell at FC Porto in Portugal and later continued his goalscoring spree at Atletico Madrid
However, his time at Monaco was less illustrious, marred by a significant knee injury, setting the stage for a headline-grabbing move in the summer of 2014
Under the tenure of Louis van Gaal, United snapped up Falcao on a loan deal that boasted an eye-popping $58.0m (£43.5m/€51.8m) option to buy a once-prolific talisman a move that would prove to be a major letdown for fans
Speaking to a Colombian radio station, Falcao's father, Radamel Garcia, shed light on his son's decision-making process
He shared that his son had the chance to link up with other heavyweights but chose Old Trafford's bright lights instead.
Garcia proudly claimed: "Manchester United is the most important team in England and one of the most powerful financially.
Juventus, Manchester City, Liverpool also approached him and Arsenal at the last minute. Fortunately, he ended up at Manchester United, a great team that he has to lead forward."
Before Radamel Falcao's headline-grabbing transfer to Manchester United, he accidentally sparked a social media frenzy with an ill-timed 'Hala Madrid' tweet that made fans think he was angling for a move to Real Madrid.
The much-anticipated switch to the Spanish giants never came to pass, however, and Falcao found himself heading for Manchester instead.
The striker's father later shed light on why things didn't pan out with Real Madrid, explaining:
“Things did not happen with Real Madrid because if you have money and you go to the shops to buy a shirt or trousers, you have to decide if you buy it or not.
He further commented: "So Real Madrid opted not to do it, and you can't do anything about that.
“Apart from that, I don't know, I have a feeling they wanted the player to offer himself as a gift with a number of conditions and things like that."
He also noted: "It didn't happen because, as I said, they decided to buy the trousers and the shirt they wanted, and they considered what was better for them, and you have to accept that because they are the ones who pay the money.
“Thank God, everything happened with Manchester United."
Sadly for Falcao and United supporters, the Colombian's stint in England couldn't replicate his success in La Liga or Ligue 1.
During his time at Old Trafford, he scored just four goals in 29 games, leading to an underwhelming spell which even saw him playing with the Under-21s — a stark contrast to his expected performance.
He then returned to Monaco, before quickly being sent back to England to join Chelsea, a club that had long been interested in him.
This move, similar to United's initial loan with a $51m (£38m/€45m) buy option, proved even more catastrophic; the forward only managed to net one goal before a serious thigh injury cut short his year-long stint.
Falcao, now 38, is still playing football, having recently gone back to his native Colombia to play for the 16-time champions Millonarios, based in Bogota.
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