KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Super League giants, Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) could strengthen their firepower by signing Colombian striker Radamel Falcao, said JDT head coach Esteban Solari.
After rumours linked the 2018 World Cup player with the Southern Tigers, Solari confirmed that club owner Tunku Makhota Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim is working on it.
“We know that there’s a possibility, is something our boss is working on. We are still waiting, I cannot say anymore, our boss will decide this,” he told the post-match press conference after JDT beat KL City 3-0 at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium, last night.
According to a report in Spanish newspaper, Marca, Falcao, who still has a contract with Spanish La Liga side Rayo Vallecano until this June, is evaluating an offer to sign a contract with the Southern Tigers.
The report stated that JDT could sign Falcao for the next two seasons before making the 37-year-old striker nicknamed ‘El Tigre’ a post-retirement ambassador for the club and the state of Johor.
If the deal happens, Falcao would make his Super League appearance after the second transfer window from July 5 to Aug 1.
Another LaLiga club, Valencia, who are owned by Singaporean business magnate Peter Lim, are also reported to be interested in signing Falcao, who had donned the Manchester United jersey in the 2014-2015 season. He was on loan from AS Monaco then.
JDT probably will be Falcao’s tenth club in his career after making a name for himself with several world-famous clubs including River Plate, FC Porto, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Galatasaray.
Among others, he has won two Europa League titles with Porto in the 2010-2011 season and Atletico Madrid (2011-2012) in addition to helping Atletico Madrid win the UEFA Super Cup in 2012.
JDT, who have been strengthened by the presence of several new faces, including former Watford and Sheffield Wednesday player Fernando Forestieri, former Aston Villa player Shane Lowry and Jordi Amat, lifted their sixth Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Cup after defeating Terengganu FC 2-0, last week.
Last night, the nine-time Super League champions defeated Kuala Lumpur (KL) City FC 3-0 through Romel Morales’s own goal in the 41st minute, as well as from Endrick Dos Santos (52’) and Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi (90’). - Bernama
