Falcao to put the Devil back in United

Radamel Falcao volleys like Mark Hughes and takes a ball on his instep and sprints towards goal like Thierry Henry. He back-heels like Eric Cantona and converts penalties like Mario Balotelli. Falcao is a scorer of great goals, as his bicycle-kick collection suggests, and also a great goalscorer, as his prodigious tally with Porto, Atletico Madrid and Monaco highlights.

In short, Falcao has all the qualities to light up the Premier League.

Manchester United do not really need another forward, unless Robin van Persie’s knee proves problematic, but Falcao’s loan signing is still a coup, still a moment to trigger huge excitement.

He will sharpen United’s cutting edge and generate more of a feel-good factor. Goodness knows they need that right now.

Absent from the Champions League and never expected to be in the running for the Premier League, this season hardly offered much prospect of real joy for United.

However, Falcao’s arrival, following that of Angel di Maria, will lift spirits in the dressing room and on the terraces, reminding everyone that United can still pull in the big names (admittedly by paying astronomical wages). Nani and Javier Hernandez out, Di Maria and Falcao in: That is what you might call an upgrade from premium economy to first class.

United have still to address properly issues in defence and central midfield, and that 3-5-2 system still offers all the stability of a deckchair in a stiff breeze.

There will be inevitable scrutiny on Falcao’s right knee after cruciate surgery ruled him out of the World Cup, but he has played three France Ligue 1 games this season and scored twice. This signing simply cannot be a gamble.

The loan fee is manageable and the wages, touching £300,000 (S$622,000) a week, will partly be offset by the steam rising from the tills in the Old Trafford megastores. This is a deal that makes commercial, psychological and footballing sense.

Falcao is expected to take the No 9 shirt once belonging to Andy Cole. Alex Ferguson always used to laugh when critics said Cole only scores goals and asked why he should bring him to United.

Cole’s link play was average, but he more than played his part because he was a predator, born to score. Falcao is similar, hunting goals as if addicted to the adrenaline rush of scoring, but he can also collect the ball, withstand a buffeting from centre-halves and bring team-mates into play.

After one phenomenal performance for Monaco against Lyon last season, Falcao’s coach, Claudio Ranieri, eulogised the forward’s willingness to work hard for the team —closing defenders down as well as holding the ball up.

Such praise also flowed after Falcao had struck one of the goals of the season.

This is the real beauty of the Colombian. Goals. Just ask his victims. Ask Anthony Lopes, the keeper for Lyon that day.

Falcao controlled a through ball with his right instep, took another touch to move the ball towards the area and then gave Lopes “the eyes” in dressing-room parlance, glancing to his left.

As Lopes advanced, Falcao calmly dinked the ball over him.

In the Premiership, Falcao is unlikely to get the space he was afforded in France, where he struck 13 times in 22 games.

His record of 70 goals in 91 performances for Atletico suggests that he can deal with better defences. He knows the way to goal.

Ask David Luiz. Falcao scored a breathtaking first-half hat-trick for Atletico against Chelsea in the 2012 UEFA Super Cup final in Monaco. Luiz is hardly the greatest defender, but he is reasonably quick and Falcao still repeatedly outstripped him.

Goalkeepers cannot set themselves properly when Falcao approaches, moving the ball from one foot to the other.

Defenders cannot show him on to his weaker foot. He does not have one. And for that, Manchester United fans will be grateful.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH