By Martin Lipton
Chelsea are going cold on Atletico Madrid hitman Radamel Falcao – because Roman Abramovich is no longer convinced the Colombian is worth his asking price.
Falcao has been the revelation of Atletico’s impressive start to the season, including the outstanding hat-trick that sank Roberto Di Matteo’s Blues in the UEFA SuperCup Final in Monaco in August.
But with Abramovich retaining faith in Fernando Torres despite his lack of goals, the Chelsea owner is now signalling he is less than keen on meeting Atletico’s £46million price for the South American.
While a January swoop is not out of the question – there are still two months to go before the window opens and Chelsea have swapped targets at short notice before – the Blues are now looking at cheaper alternatives to add to their fire-power.
Marseilles’ France striker Loic Remy, who was on the Chelsea radar at the close of the summer window, is now understood to be back on the agenda, with the £15m tag not seen as too onerous.
And the other potential target is Falcao’s fellow Colombian, Porto’s Jackson Martinez, who has scored nine in as many league appearances – and 14 in all competitions – for the Portuguese side since his £8m arrival from Jaguares, beating the club records set by Falcao and Brazilian Hulk.
Porto President Pinta Da Costa, who forced Chelsea to pay £13m to land Andre Villas-Boas in 2011 and played hardball with Spurs over Joao Moutinho this summer, is likely to ask for nearer £20m for the 26-year-old but Chelsea are looking to give Torres back-up until the end of the season.
