Manchester United have sensationally opened talks with Atletico Madrid about a fee for Radamel Falcao.Marca says a down payment has been made and that Falcao is just a step away from United.

The sequence of events is nothing new because the same thing happened two seasons ago when David de Gea left the Vicente Calderón to become a Red Devil.

De Gea moved to Old Trafford for around £17m (€20m) while Falcao is expected to cost United around £42m (€50m).

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will be shocked by developments, having struck personal terms with Falcao's camp before Christmas.