Paul Scholes column: Radamel Falcao is a great signing for Manchester United but who'll be the one to miss out?

The big question for Louis van Gaal will be how he gives all his players games

Colombian Radamel Falcao creates competition in United’s forward line (Getty Images)

When I watched Radamel Falcao play for Porto, Atletico Madrid and Monaco I saw a striker with excellent movement and a goalscoring record that is simply out of this world.

At United, on loan for this season initially, Falcao creates competition in United’s forward line. There is no way that Louis van Gaal can play Rooney, Robin van Persie and Falcao together. It will have to be two from three and which two it is hard to say as yet.

Credit has to go to Ed Woodward, who has left Van Gaal a squad that should be capable of finishing in the top four. I don’t think the league title is realistic but Champions League football is the aim. Now it is over to Van Gaal to shape the team.

The big question for the United manager will be how he gives all his players games. That is quite some squad and only two competitions left to play for. That is a nice problem to have.

Naturally, I was sad, as a United fan, to see Welbeck leave this week. My feeling was that if he could have got through this transfer window and stayed at the club he could have been a part of United’s future over the next few years.

It shows how highly regarded Danny is that a club as big as Arsenal signed him. He will be a good signing for Arsène Wenger. Danny will never be a 20-25 goals-a-season man but he could get Arsenal 10 to 15.

Louis van Gaal talks with Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie (GETTY IMAGES)

When a signing arrives at United he is always welcomed by each player individually. Even if it was someone who played in my position I saw it as a step forward for the club, for all of us. It always gave me a lift when we signed a player of great quality and Falcao and Angel Di Maria will have a similar effect at United.

I saw many come in: Dwight Yorke, Teddy Sheringham, Juan Sebastian Veron, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez. I will never forget Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first day at the club. At the end of the session a few of us had some shooting practice. I could not believe the level of Ruud’s finishing. Every shot hit the back of the net. And they were smashed in too, no nonsense with shots that trickled over the line. We knew from that moment we had a great goalscorer.