Chelsea striker Radamel Falcao. (Photo : Getty Images)
Chelsea's flop striker Radamel Falcao recently admitted that he received two "great offers" to play in China during the recently closed winter transfer window and that he turned down both of them to remain at the Stamford Bridge and salvage his career with the Blues this season.
The Independent reported that the 30-year-old Colombian forward had recently "revealed that he was made two lucrative offers to move to the Chinese Super League during the transfer window" but had said he decided to stay with Chelsea "to give himself 'another opportunity' at the top level".
Falcao was considered as one of the best strikers in Europe before his signing with Monaco and then loan stints with Manchester United and Chelsea, where he had struggled to show the form that gave him such notoriety. In his combined two-season stint with both English Premier League giants, he has only scored five times in 40 games.
The 5-foot-10 Santa Marta, Colombia native has only had nine appearances for the reigning Premier League champs this season, mostly because of injuries, and had scored only a single goal in the process even as expectations were sky high when he joined the Blues last summer.
His recent debacle had reportedly made Falcao keen on redeeming himself in the club that he is with today.
"It's true that I had two different offers from Chinese football, but I stayed in England in order to give myself the opportunity," the Colombia international said, as per the South China Morning Post. "To go there would have been the easiest way, because it was a great offer, but I wanted to stay."
The report continued that Colombia's all-time top goal scorer had agreed on a pay cut of £140,000 per week to be with Chelsea from his £280,000 weekly wage with the Red Devils last season. It also said that it is "unlikely" he was "offered a further pay cut to move to China".
Falcao played his best seasons with Portuguese club FC Porto and Spanish team Atletico Madrid from 2009 to 2013.
In three seasons with the Dragons, he scored 72 times in just 87 games, which is quite a high output. He continued it with Atleti, scoring 70 goals in 91 appearances during his two seasons with Los Colchoneros.
