Chelsea manager José Mourinho has dropped the biggest hint yet the club will bid for Radamel Falcao in the summer.
Falcao's £52 million move to Monaco last year has backfired, with the Colombian sidelined with a knee ligament injury and likely to miss the World Cup.
Arguably the best striker in the world a year ago, Falcao, 28, was accused of a lack of ambition for joining Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev's revolution in the Principality at the peak of his career.
Falcao looks set to miss the summer's World Cup
Mourinho encountered Falcao during his Atlético Madrid days while Real manager, and suggested he is too good to play at the Stade Louis II, which holds just 18,523 and rarely sells out.
"I have a team, but no striker," Mourinho told Canal Football Club. "Falcao does not have a team. A player like him can't play in front of 3,000 people. Monaco is a club to end your career with."
Mourinho also ruled out a reunion with his former Internazionale frontman Zlatan ibrahimović, or a move for the Swede's Paris Saint-Germain teammate Edinson Cavani.
Falcao's operation
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Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos (C) and his wife Maria Clemencia Rodriguez visit Colombian football player Radamel Falcao at the Trindade Hospital in Porto on January 25, 2014. Monaco's Colombian striker Radamel Falcao requires surgery on the left knee injury picked up in a clash with a school teacher playing for an amateur side in a French Cup tie on January 22 which almost certainly rules the star out of the World Cup. AFP PHOTO / MIGUEL RIOPA (Photo credit should read MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Colombian football player Radamel Falcao smiles during a visit of Colombian President at the Trindade Hospital in Porto on January 25, 2014. Monaco's Colombian striker Radamel Falcao requires surgery on the left knee injury picked up in a clash with a school teacher playing for an amateur side in a French Cup tie on January 22 which almost certainly rules the star out of the World Cup. AFP PHOTO / MIGUEL RIOPA (Photo credit should read MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Colombian football player Radamel Falcao (R) with his surgeon Jose Carlos Noronha (L) at the Trindade Hospital in Porto on January 25, 2014. Monaco's Colombian striker Radamel Falcao requires surgery on the left knee injury picked up in a clash with a school teacher playing for an amateur side in a French Cup tie on January 22 which almost certainly rules the star out of the World Cup. AFP PHOTO / MIGUEL RIOPA (Photo credit should read MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos (R) chats with Colombian football player Radamel Falcao at the Trindade Hospital in Porto on January 25, 2014. Monaco's Colombian striker Radamel Falcao requires surgery on the left knee injury picked up in a clash with a school teacher playing for an amateur side in a French Cup tie on January 22 which almost certainly rules the star out of the World Cup. AFP PHOTO / MIGUEL RIOPA (Photo credit should read MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos (R) chats with Colombian football player Radamel Falcao at the Trindade Hospital in Porto on January 25, 2014. Monaco's Colombian striker Radamel Falcao requires surgery on the left knee injury picked up in a clash with a school teacher playing for an amateur side in a French Cup tie on January 22 which almost certainly rules the star out of the World Cup. AFP PHOTO / MIGUEL RIOPA (Photo credit should read MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos (2nd L) chat with Colombian football player Radamel Falcao (L) and his surgeon Jose Carlos Noronha (C), football agent Jorge Mendes (2nd R) and FC Porto's president Jorge Pinto da Costa at the Trindade Hospital in Porto on January 25, 2014. Monaco's Colombian striker Radamel Falcao requires surgery on the left knee injury picked up in a clash with a school teacher playing for an amateur side in a French Cup tie on January 22 which almost certainly rules the star out of the World Cup. AFP PHOTO / MIGUEL RIOPA (Photo credit should read MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos (C) chats with Colombian football player Radamel Falcao (L) and his surgeon Jose Carlos Noronha at the Trindade Hospital in Porto on January 25, 2014. Monaco's Colombian striker Radamel Falcao requires surgery on the left knee injury picked up in a clash with a school teacher playing for an amateur side in a French Cup tie on January 22 which almost certainly rules the star out of the World Cup. AFP PHOTO / MIGUEL RIOPA (Photo credit should read MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A man reads a newspaper with news of Monaco's Colombian football striker Radamel Falcao Garcia at the streets in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia, on January 24, 2013. Falcao requires surgery on the left knee injury picked up in a clash with a school teacher playing for an amateur side in Wednesday's French Cup tie which almost certainly rules the star out of the World Cup. News of the influential scorer's impending operation was confirmed Thursday in a statement issued by his club. While Monaco did not specify how long they expected him to be out of action the plight of the nation's top player caused consternation in Colombia. AFP PHOTO/ Raul ARBOLEDA (Photo credit should read RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A woman reads a newspaper with news of Monaco's Colombian football striker Radamel Falcao Garcia at the streets in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia, on January 24, 2013. Falcao requires surgery on the left knee injury picked up in a clash with a school teacher playing for an amateur side in Wednesday's French Cup tie which almost certainly rules the star out of the World Cup. News of the influential scorer's impending operation was confirmed Thursday in a statement issued by his club. While Monaco did not specify how long they expected him to be out of action the plight of the nation's top player caused consternation in Colombia. AFP PHOTO/ Raul ARBOLEDA (Photo credit should read RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A man reads a newspaper with news of Monaco's Colombian football striker Radamel Falcao Garcia at the streets in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia, on January 24, 2013. Falcao requires surgery on the left knee injury picked up in a clash with a school teacher playing for an amateur side in Wednesday's French Cup tie which almost certainly rules the star out of the World Cup. News of the influential scorer's impending operation was confirmed Thursday in a statement issued by his club. While Monaco did not specify how long they expected him to be out of action the plight of the nation's top player caused consternation in Colombia. AFP PHOTO/ Raul ARBOLEDA (Photo credit should read RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A woman holds a newspaper with news of Monaco's Colombian football striker Radamel Falcao Garcia at the streets in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia, on January 24, 2013. Falcao requires surgery on the left knee injury picked up in a clash with a school teacher playing for an amateur side in Wednesday's French Cup tie which almost certainly rules the star out of the World Cup. News of the influential scorer's impending operation was confirmed Thursday in a statement issued by his club. While Monaco did not specify how long they expected him to be out of action the plight of the nation's top player caused consternation in Colombia. AFP PHOTO/ Raul ARBOLEDA (Photo credit should read RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A man reads a newspaper with news of Monaco's Colombian football striker Radamel Falcao Garcia at the streets in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia, on January 24, 2013. Falcao requires surgery on the left knee injury picked up in a clash with a school teacher playing for an amateur side in Wednesday's French Cup tie which almost certainly rules the star out of the World Cup. News of the influential scorer's impending operation was confirmed Thursday in a statement issued by his club. While Monaco did not specify how long they expected him to be out of action the plight of the nation's top player caused consternation in Colombia. AFP PHOTO/ Raul ARBOLEDA (Photo credit should read RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
FBL-WC2014-COLOMBIA-FALCAO-SURGERY(13 of15)
A man reads a newspaper with news of Monaco's Colombian football striker Radamel Falcao Garcia at the streets in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia, on January 24, 2013. Falcao requires surgery on the left knee injury picked up in a clash with a school teacher playing for an amateur side in Wednesday's French Cup tie which almost certainly rules the star out of the World Cup. News of the influential scorer's impending operation was confirmed Thursday in a statement issued by his club. While Monaco did not specify how long they expected him to be out of action the plight of the nation's top player caused consternation in Colombia. AFP PHOTO/ Raul ARBOLEDA (Photo credit should read RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
FBL-WC2014-COLOMBIA-FALCAO-SURGERY(14 of15)
A man reads a newspaper with news of Monaco's Colombian football striker Radamel Falcao Garcia at the streets in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia, on January 24, 2013. Falcao requires surgery on the left knee injury picked up in a clash with a school teacher playing for an amateur side in Wednesday's French Cup tie which almost certainly rules the star out of the World Cup. News of the influential scorer's impending operation was confirmed Thursday in a statement issued by his club. While Monaco did not specify how long they expected him to be out of action the plight of the nation's top player caused consternation in Colombia. AFP PHOTO/ Raul ARBOLEDA (Photo credit should read RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
FBL-WC2014-COLOMBIA-FALCAO-SURGERY(15 of15)
A woman holds a newspaper with news of Monaco's Colombian football striker Radamel Falcao Garcia at the streets in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia, on January 24, 2013. Falcao requires surgery on the left knee injury picked up in a clash with a school teacher playing for an amateur side in Wednesday's French Cup tie which almost certainly rules the star out of the World Cup. News of the influential scorer's impending operation was confirmed Thursday in a statement issued by his club. While Monaco did not specify how long they expected him to be out of action the plight of the nation's top player caused consternation in Colombia. AFP PHOTO/ Raul ARBOLEDA (Photo credit should read RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Wayne Rooney's decision to ink a five-year contract with Manchester United has ended Chelsea's pursuit of the striker, an area Mourinho has not been shy in pinpointing as his squad's weakest.
Samuel Eto'o, Fernando Torres and Demba Ba have scored just 18 goals between them this term, with Eden Hazard the Blues's top scorer on 13, followed by Oscar, with nine.