Football
Ian Holyman, France correspondent 10y

Radamel Falcao believes in Monaco

Radamel Falcao says he retains faith in Monaco's progress towards becoming a European football superpower despite the impending sale of James Rodriguez.

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Widespread reports have claimed that Rodriguez, 23, will be unveiled as a Real Madrid player on Tuesday, and he did not meet up with the Ligue 1 club's first-team squad on their preseason tour in the USA as had been planned on Monday.

Colombia international Falcao, 28, who joined Monaco along with Rodriguez only last summer, has also been strongly linked to Madrid, whose president, Florentino Perez, is a known admirer of the prolific striker.

However, Falcao -- unlike his compatriot -- will not be leaving the Stade Louis II.

"I believe in Monaco's project," he told a news conference on Monday. "I want to play the Champions League, and we're going to strengthen our squad to do that."

Falcao is in the States with Leonardo Jardim's men and working hard to regain fitness following the knee ligament injury he sustained in January.

The ex-Porto and Atletico Madrid missed his team's win over Colombian side Atletico Junior in Barranquilla on Sunday night, but could feature against another team from his home country, Atletico Nacional, in Miami on Wednesday.

"I'm working hard to get back onto the pitch," he said. "I'll do that when I feel 100 percent, a little time from now. I don't know. We'll have to see with the medical staff."

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