Forget Falcao! The Colombian’s replacement at Porto would be AMAZING in the Premier League

With growing rumours that Atletico Madrid will attempt to renew Radamael Falcao's contract in an effort to keep him on their books until the end of the season, at least, several of the Premier League clubs linked with the striker may need to reconsider their options in January. Portugal could be worth paying attention to in particular, with Falcao's former club Porto appearing to have pulled yet another rabbit out of the hat. Their new striker Jackson Martinez has hit brilliant form with the Portuguese side, so could Falcao's compatriot be an alternative target for Premier League sides? talkSPORT has more...

So who is he?
Martinez is from Colombia, the same nation as Falcao, and the two have played together for their country, but unlike the Atletico striker, the Porto man has only recently moved to Europe from South America, making him something of an unknown commodity on these shores. Martinez has an excellent goal scoring record at both of his former teams, hitting 65 in 84 appearances with Independiente Medellin, and 36 in 68 with Jaguares de Chiapas, so it's no wonder Porto's renowned scouting network took note. His brilliant form since his arrival in Portugal, scoring nine goals in 11 games, has led to inevitable comparisons with his compatriot, and it looks like the hole left by Falcao's departure has finally been filled. Porto may find they're on the hunt for another replacement in the near future, however, as if Martinez continues in this vein then wealthier clubs are sure to show an interest.

Playing style
Like Falcao, Martinez is a natural finisher, and though the Atletico man is definitely physically robust, Martinez is said to be even stronger, proving extremely difficult to knock off the ball. Standing 6ft 1in, he is technically gifted and most recently demonstrated his ability by scoring a brilliant bicycle kick for Porto against Beira Mar. To top it off, Martinez is strong in the air, and has even been compared to legendary striker George Weah.

Where could he fit in?

Chelsea
Martinez's combination of physical prowess and technical mastery make him an obvious candidate for a move to Chelsea, who could find a bridge between their old and new style in the striker. With the Colombian comfortable with the ball played to his feet as well as in the air, he would be able to fit in with Chelsea's new emphasis on a skillful passing game, as well as provide a more direct option if a tactical change is necessary. Porto's reluctance to sell Hulk to Chelsea in the recent past suggests it might not be so straightforward for the Stamford Bridge side, however, and moreover, Roman Abramovic has shown that he's unlikely to be reasonable and settle for an alternative option to his first choice target without a fight.

Arsenal
With Gervinho's capacity to play as a central striker still uncertain and Lukas Podolski better suited in a wider role, Arsenal lack decent cover for their only true number nine, Olivier Giroud. As their defeat to Schalke proved, the Gunners could do with some extra quality, and after scoring a brace in the Champions League against Dynamo Kiev, Martinez has proven that he can deliver at the highest level. Perhaps the only obvious drawback to an Arsenal transfer is that Martinez doesn't look like the kind of player capable of playing alongside Olivier Giroud, with both strikers occupying similar space in their effort to get goals. That being said, signing the Colombian could put pressure on Giroud to deliver goals more often, which could have a positive impact on the Frenchman.

Liverpool
If there's a team in need of extra goals it's Liverpool, and Martinez would certainly increase the likelihood of the Reds scoring more frequently. Though in principal he doesn't appear to be the ideal striker for the Brendan Rodgers style, he could provide a different option for the Northern Irishman, who showed against Everton that he's happy to change his system according to the opposition. Martinez would certainly benefit from Steven Gerrard's delivery from set pieces in particular.

The rest

Manchester United have more than enough strikers as it stands, making it unlikely that they would move for the Colombian any time soon. For similar reasons, Manchester City are also unlikely to be suitors, though Txiki Begiristain did show at Barcelona that he favours signing forward players above defenders. Though neither Manchester club can be ruled out, they aren't obvious candidates.

Video evidence

The expert opinion
“Martinez is physically stronger than Falcao, they're different. Perhaps he doesn't have all of the talent of Falcao, but in the short time he's been at Porto he's doing incredibly well. He's at a club where he'll triumph and then be sold for a figure like they got for Falcao. He's something of an old-fashioned central striker, he heads well, is very athletic, and reminds me of George Weah. He could play in any of the three big leagues, Spain, Italy or England” Former Porto player Paulo Futre