After a dramatic last minute scramble, Radamel Falcao was finally signed by Manchester United in the wee hours of the morning on September 1st.
The Red Devils had received an extension to complete the signature of the Colombian international on a one-year loan deal, thus putting an end to a summer that had seen the 28-year-old linked with a slew of clubs in England, Italy, and Spain.
However, even before he has kicked a ball for his new club, there is already a bit of controversy surrounding the former Porto attacker, with the true reasons why the Premier League giants offered him a short term contract apparently being revealed.
According to English reports, the Monaco star, who claims to have been born in 1986, was actually born two years prior on February 10, 1984, which will make him 30 years old.
Proof of Falcao's true age? These documents claim that the Colombian was also born in Bogota, not Santa Marta
Here's a school registration form from 1989, where in order to start, a pupil had to be at least five years old
Certainly, if true, coupled with his recent injury issues, that could make sense why a club would opt against signing him on a longer-term deal.
This is not the first time that Falcao's age has been called into question. As recently as last year, he was forced to take to social media to refute claims that he has been pretending to be younger than his actual years.
"I have been surprised with stories in the media about my age. They are totally ridiculous, and I want to deny those claims and end this once and for all," he vented via his official Twitter account.
The Colombian star isn't the only player in recent times to have people wonder about his true age. This past season, former Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o was embroiled in a spat with Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese tactician mused about his player's real birth date.
And Lazio signing Joseph Minala, who's apparently just 18 years old, has become more well known for his "mature" looking face than any of his actual feats since signing for the Italian side.
Minala, then 17, with 36-year-old Udinese star Antonio Di Natale. Do they look like big brother and little brother, or more like colleagues of the same age?
