Following their promotion from Ligue 2, big spending Monaco are reportedly lining up ambitious bids in anticipation of their Ligue 1 return.
Claudio Ranieri has led them to promotion this year from the second division in French football, yet Russian businessman and owner Dmitry Rybolovlev feels Roberto Mancini could be the man to help the club progress further.
This won’t be the first time Monaco have contacted Mancini, having spoke with him near the end of last season when City faltered in the title race.
But, after winning the league on a memorable last game of the season, Mancini opted to stay, penning a 5-year deal.
Now he has been relieved from his duties at City, Mancini will be free to talk to a host of interested clubs and the lure of a tax-free life in Monaco may sway his decision. Bookies have Monaco as Mancini’s most likely destination with odds at 1/3.
Joining him for a short period could also be Colombian forward Falcao. The Athletico Madrid goal machine has been linked with Europe’s biggest teams and he could be set for a stint with one of France’s most successful football clubs.
The deal could see him reject Chelsea in favour of the £50million move to the popular destination.
Before Monaco came in with this eye-watering offer, Falcao was set to move to Stamford Bridge, along with Jose Mourinho. They share the same agent, Jorge Mendes and this would have made the deal easier to complete.
Monaco play in the French League, despite being its own county. It borders Southern France and is as small as three miles long, but is home to some of the world’s richest people. The fact they don’t pay tax means Falcao could pocket around £9million a year.
The deal could be close to completion after Monaco youth players recently tweeted that Falcao was in Monaco to complete his move.
Some media reports say the move for the 34 goal marksman could be to bypass a clause in his current Athletico contract, which states his transfer fee would be considerably more if he joined City rivals Real.
The deal could mean Falcao’s stint may be as short as 6 months, where he would then make a return to Spain’s capital to join up with Real Madrid.
Regardless, the move by Monaco for both Mancini and Falcao would show their ambition, and sheer wealth, where they will hope to take Ligue 1 by storm before conquering Europe.
Sources:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/nov/02/manchester-city-roberto-mancini-monaco regarding last year’s Monaco talks
http://www.visitmonaco.com/us/About-Monaco/FAQ
http://www.football-espana.net/30822/falcao-spotted-monaco
Source: DSG
