Chelsea close in on deal for Man United flop Radamel Falcao

CHELSEA are closing in on a deal for Manchester United flop Radamel Falcao.

Falcao's agent Jorges Mendes, who is also Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's agent, has been in talks with the club for more than a week and a deal appears to be close to completion.

Falcao is expected to join Chelsea on a year long loan - though his parent club Monaco would prefer a permanent deal. The French side want about £34million for the Colombian, who scored only four goals in 29 games at United, who declined to take up their option on a permanent move.

Chelsea are pushing for a loan deal, but they face competition from former manager Andre Villas Boas, whose club Zenit St Petersburg are willing to pay out £25m for the former Porto and Atletico Madrid star.

Mourinho sees Falcao, who has scored goals freely at all his other clubs, as useful back up to first choice Diego Costa, especially with Didier Drogba leaving the club this summer.

Falcao is expected to join Chelsea on a year-long loan deal

Chelsea have cooled on their plans to buy Atletico Madrid's French striker Antoine Griezmann, with the Spanish club wanting £43m for the former Real Sociedad striker - who yesterday insisted he wanted to stay in Spain.

Meanwhile, Italian clubs Inter Milan and Roma are both tracking Chelsea's unhappy Colombian winger Juan Cuadrado, who has failed to settle in English football since his £23.3m switch from Fiorentina in January.