Manchester United paid Monaco €4m for 'ghost game' in Radamel Falcao deal, allege Football Leaks

Manchester United agreed to pay Monaco €4million to play a ‘ghost game’ as part of the agreement to take Radamel Falcao on loan, according to the latest set of documents released by Football Leaks.

The leaks, published by investigative website Mediapart, claim that United sought to pay €6million to Monaco for Falcao, plus €4million on top if they achieved a top-four finish in the 2014-15 Premier League season.

Monaco were prevented from accepting such terms as the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), which runs France’s top flight, prohibits such performance-based payments.

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According to Mediapart, United and Monaco subsequently circumvented the LFP’s rules by signing two separate contracts.

According to the documents the first contract set a €6million loan fee for Falcao. The second reportedly agreed that United would pay €4.5million to play a friendly against Monaco in July 2015 if they finished in the top four of the Premier League.

United would also reportedly have to pay €4million in the event that the friendly did not take place, provided the club finished in the top four. United finished fourth in the 2014-15 season, their first under the management of Louis van Gaal.

According to the leaks, the friendly with Monaco was cancelled by then-club secretary John Alexander in a letter dated 27 May 2015.

It is reported that Monaco subsequently submitted a bill to United for €4million and asked for it to be paid by the end of June.

Monaco told Mediapart that their contracts “all comply with the applicable law”. United declined to comment.

Falcao struggled at Old Trafford, scoring just four goals in 29 appearances, and United did not take up an option to sign the Colombia international permanently.