Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal could still choose to keep hold of on-loan AS Monaco striker Radamel Falcao next season. The Mail on Sunday says Van Gaal does not like senior strikers spending too much time on the bench and sold Danny Welbeck to Arsenal and allowed Javier Hernandez to join Real Madrid on loan last August for that reason.

But though Falcao has scored only four goals following a much-hyped loan move from Monaco on transfer deadline day in September, the Dutchman won't give up on him yet.

United are not obliged to decide his future until May, though Van Gaal would only make the move permanent if the player and Monaco reduce their demands.

Van Gaal first wants to assess whether Falcao, regarded as one of the world's top strikers until suffering a serious knee injury last year, would be able to handle another year where he would be primarily a substitute rather than a regular starter.