Man Utd Transfers: 7 Things You Need To Know About Falcao

3. He Came Fifth In The 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or

Radamel Falcao has twice been nominated for the prestigious Ballon d'Or award - the annual honour given to the player who is deemed to be the best in the world each year. The first of his nominations came in 2012 when he finished fifth. Lionel Messi won the ultimate prize with Cristiano Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta making up the top three. Barcelona's Xavi came fourth with 4.08% of the vote while Falcao came fifth after polling 3.67%, putting him ahead of such names as Didier Drogba, new United teammate Robin van Persie and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The second of his nominations came a 12 months later, in 2013, though he only finished 11th that year. Nevertheless, this is the type of player United have just bought - a performer who is consistently considered among the very best players in world football, and for just £6 million, no less. Should Falcao go on to put in performances that earn him a third Ballon d'Or nomination, that fee really will look like a complete snip.