Louis van Gaal reveals he knew Radamel Falcao was money well spent after striker scored with only chance in first training session

• Manchester United signings Radamel Falcao and Daley Blind were unveiled by Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford
• The former Holland manager suggested that he would like to make Radamel Falcao's loan deal permanent
• The Colombia international impressed his manager by scoring with his only chance during first training session 
• United have spent over £150million on players incl. Angel di Maria, Marcos Rojo, Ander Hererra and Luke Shaw 
• The on loan Monaco striker insisted he wanted 'to stay many years and make history' with the Red Devils 
• The former Porto forward is spending a fifth consecutive season without playing in the Champions League 
• Four players could make their United debut in home Premier League fixture on Sunday September 14

It took just one moment of magic, one goal in his first training session as a Manchester United player, for Louis van Gaal to appreciate that Radamel Falcao could be an awful lot of money well spent.

‘When you can hire or buy a player like Falcao then I don’t have doubts because he is, for me, one of the best strikers in the world. When you see his record it is unbelievable,’ said Van Gaal at a press conference to unveil the 28-year-old Colombia striker.

‘At training he got one ball and it was in the goal. He confirmed it in his first training session with me. But when I say that, I put too much pressure on him and that’s not good.’ 

United have spent £6million to ‘hire’ Falcao from Monaco this season, during which time the striker will earn £280,000 a week at Old Trafford. It will cost them another £46m to exercise an option to buy him outright next summer.

Angel di Maria, Ander Herrera, Marcos Rojo, Luke Shaw and Daley Blind — whose appearance on Thursday was rather overshadowed by the man sitting to his left — also came through the door as part of a £150m summer spending spree.

This has inevitably led to questions about United’s transfer policy under Van Gaal and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

That is unlikely to faze Falcao. After all, this is the fourth time he has moved clubs in the last five years.

This time last year he was being paraded as Monaco’s record £48m signing. 

At least the former Porto and Atletico Madrid player expressed a desire to hang around a little longer this time.

‘I hope to stay many years in Manchester United and make history at this club,’ said Falcao, whose record of 220 goals in 356 career games compares pretty well against Danny Welbeck’s strike rate of 29 goals in 142 games — brought up rather surprisingly by Van Gaal yesterday.

‘When I was at Porto and Madrid I always wanted to improve and I dreamed about playing in a team like this,’ added Falcao. ‘It’s a new process and a new team. Some players have come and Manchester United are building a big team this season and future seasons.

‘I would like to be here and be part of the project. I am very happy to be here. It’s a big challenge for me for my career. I always dreamed to be in a club like Manchester United.’

Falcao has made six appearances and scored two goals for club and country since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee playing for Monaco in a French Cup tie in January, but has yet to complete a full game.

His brief appearance for Colombia as a substitute against Brazil in Miami on Friday took his total playing time to 217 minutes — an average of 38 minutes per game — but he insists he is fully recovered.

‘Yes, I feel well,’ he added. ‘I started to play two months ago with Monaco and I have improved in the last month a lot. I scored goals, and that is important to strikers.

‘I’m confident with my physical form and I’m comfortable with my knee. I feel good in myself.’

Questions have been raised about how Van Gaal can fit all his new signings into the same team alongside the likes of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Juan Mata, who has only been at United eight months since a £37.1m move from Chelsea.

There could be up to four of them making home debuts against QPR on Sunday. 

Falcao does not foresee any problems, however.

‘When you’re talking about settling in, when you’re talking about top-quality players, it makes settling in more easy,’ he added.

‘I think I will need not much time because Manchester United has very good players and it’s easier to play football. I’m used to life in cities like this. I don’t think I will have a problem adapting.

‘I see the club in a period of everyone needing to get to know one another. But they are top-quality players and very intelligent players who can apply what the coach has in mind for us on the field quickly.

‘In terms of where I play, that is something the manager will have to decide for me.

‘I’ve been fortunate to play at some big clubs all over the world in big games and finals. I would rather focus on enjoying my football and making the most of the opportunity United have given me. I tend to set myself personal targets and goals and that’s how players challenge themselves.’

Falcao was reluctant to talk about the other clubs linked with him this summer, including Real Madrid, Manchester City and Arsenal. All three teams are playing in the Champions League in United’s absence.

For Falcao, it will be a fifth season in a row outside the European elite, but he does not expect to be kept waiting much longer.

‘It’s true, every player wants to play in the Champions League,’ he said. ‘This year it’s not possible in Manchester but we are confident that we will qualify next season.

‘I don’t want to talk about other teams. I can say that I’m very happy here and believe in this project. United are the best club for my style of play and I am sure it will be a great period for us in the future.’ 

United’s new signing spoke mainly in broken English but answered a couple of questions from the South American media more fluently in Spanish.

As he got up to leave at the end, Van Gaal grabbed him by the right arm and addressed his audience.

‘What do you think about his English?’ asked the former Barcelona coach. ‘Because I had the same situation in Spain. In my first year I spoke English, in my second year Spanish. And he is coming here and he is speaking English for you. Yeah, OK?’

It brought a round of applause but, for this kind of money, United supporters will expect Radamel Falcao to do his talking on the pitch