As Dzeko to Inter Saga Rolls On, Roma Look to Falcao

At this point in time, we have no idea what's going on with the Edin Dzeko to Inter Milan saga. What we do know, however, is that his exit looks like it's going to be as prolonged as his arrival with Roma several years ago. With Roma holding firm to their €20 million valuation for the Bosnian Batistuta, Inter Milan seem to be waffling by the day, one minute looking for other options in attack while the next keeping the lines of communication with Roma open. Dzeko, for all intents and purposes, is stuck in the world's least intense game of tug of war.

And with Dzeko unwilling to sign an extension with Roma, the worst case scenario would see the man with 80+ goals walk away for free next June. It's an interesting scenario in that neither Roma nor Inter have found a replacement for Edin Dzeko, leaving all three parties in an awkward limbo.

And into that void steps Monaco's Radamel Falcao, the man who might grease the wheels for Dzeko's long-rumored move to Inter Milan.

According to the CdS (on the fourth page of that story), Falcao, Monaco's 33-year-old Colombian striker, has emerged as striker candidate for Roma. Despite his advancing athletic age, Falcao has remained remarkably productive in Ligue 1, scoring 54 league goals in three seasons since returning to the Principality from two unsuccessful seasons on loan with Manchester United and Chelsea.

With Falcao fielding and analyzing offers from clubs like Galatasaray, Porto and Valencia, he figures to have no shortage of options with his Monaco contract dwindling. Falcao wouldn't exactly be a like for like swap for Dzeko—he's nowhere near as good in the buildup while his playmaking numbers (assists and key passes per 90) were nearly half of Dzeko's last season—but he does one thing and he does it well; score goals.

Despite all that, this is a bit of an awkward fit. With one year remaining on his Monaco deal, Falcao will likely be seeking a mid-range deal (think two to three years), and with Roma's current profile (young), feeding money and minutes to an aging striker may not be the best idea in year two or three of the Falcao experiment, to say nothing of what they'd lose without Dzeko's contributions to offense as a whole.

If, however, Roma are simply hell bent on finding a goalscorer, Falcao could be an interesting selection.