AS Monaco's spending power was simply too much for Chelsea and Manchester City in the race for Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao.

The Premier League sides had been chasing Atletico Madrid's star striker but even their deep pockets were not enough.

The Daily Star says the 27-year-old's pace and power would have been ideal for English football, but City and Chelsea simply could not match the financial package put together by moneybags Monaco. The French side are bankrolled by Russian Dmitry Rybolovlev, who has a personal fortune of £6bn, and have already paid £60m for Porto pair Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez.