A look back at Chelsea target Pato's long held dreams of the EPL

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  • Alexandre Pato is the youngest ever scorer in a FIFA competition.

    “One day I’d like to come to England because I think the championship there is number one in the world!”

    That was the view of Alexandre Pato just last month, the Brazilian striker making his admiration for the Premier League abundantly clear during an interview with The Telegraph. Going on to say that he felt “ready for a new challenge,” it seems he may well get his wish as numerous reports link him with a move to Chelsea during the current transfer window.

    Still only 26 years old, few players appear to have endured a starker contrast between their peaks and troughs than those Pato has already suffered, but – after returning to his homeland back in 2013 – he certainly seems intent on relaunching his career. It remains to be seen if that will translate into tangible success at Stamford Bridge, but his ability has never been in question from the moment “The Duck” first came to prominence almost a decade ago.

    Having already established himself as a member of the Internacional first team and bagging his maiden professional goal within the opening 60 seconds of his debut, it was Pato’s performances during the 2006 Club World Cup that introduced him to a wider audience. A strike against African champions Al Ahly in the semifinals would see him – at 17 years, 102 days – break Pele’s record as the youngest ever scorer in a FIFA competition.

    Pato would also pocket a winner’s medal as the side from Rio Grande saw off Barcelona in the Final, going on to play a starring role in Internacional’s Recopa Sudamericana victory a few months later. Europe’s big clubs had noticed, and Milan would win the battle for his signature, ironically beating off competition from Chelsea as they handed over a €22 million fee.

    Openly admitting he made his choice based solely on the fact his idol Ronaldo was with the Rossoneri at the time, Pato would again make an instant impact. Debuting in January 2008, he would score nine times in just twenty appearances before ending the following campaign as the club’s leading scorer with 18 goals to his name.

    Tactically intelligent, quick and able to finish with both feet, he showed all the quality Milan expected for their substantial investment, Pato quickly proving he could play anywhere Carlo Ancelotti opted to deploy him. However, the player himself expressed a preference to occupy a position on the flank, saying recently that he still lacks “the physical strength to keep bouncing off defenders and holding the ball up.”

    “That’s not my game. I like to have the ball and run at defenders” he added, and at Milan he would routinely embarrass would-be markers with incredible close control and dribbling skills. However, in February 2010 – after moving into a central role at the request of Silvio Berlusconi – a hamstring problem would halt his progress quicker than any Serie A backline ever could, and it would not be the last injury he suffered.

    Pato fast facts

    • Scored on debut for Brazil against Sweden in 2008
    • Won a bronze medal with Brazil at the 2008 Olympics
    • Pato means duck in Portugese
    • Scored 51 goals in 117 appearances for AC Milan

    Crucial goals against Inter and Fiorentina helped Max Allegri’s Rossoneri clinch the Scudetto, but Pato was spending an increasing amount of time on the sidelines. Making just 15 league appearances over his final two seasons at San Siro, many pointed an accusing finger at Milan’s treatment of his myriad issues.

    “In my view, in the past Pato has been rushed back onto the field too quickly, or Milan got the treatment for his muscles wrong while he was out of action,” Brazilian national team doctor Jose Luis Runco said shortly after the player returned to Corinthians. That club record €15 million move came after a proposed switch to Paris Saint-Germain collapsed, but – after again netting on his debut – his time with the Sao Paulo-based side would quickly turn sour.

    A terrible attempted Panenka led to the club’s elimination from the Brazilian Cup, Corinthians cutting their losses after just over a year and sending him on loan to São Paulo. “It’s normal to have up and downs,” Brazil Coach Dunga said at the time. “It’s difficult for him. The world fell into his lap in four months and now he needs to concentrate on his game again.”

    Scoring 26 goals last season – the best haul of his career to date – it seems Pato has done just that, igniting talk of him adding to his tally of 27 caps and now this potential move to England. Equally noteworthy is that he made 56 appearances for São Paulo in 2015, recapturing his fitness and confidence to look like the player he once was.

    “I can come back to Europe and I think I can do better than when I was at Milan,” he told the Telegraph in that aforementioned interview, and that is undoubtedly the reason Chelsea are reportedly so keen. They certainly need to bear in mind that even the man himself doesn’t want to play centrally, but the idea of Alexandre Pato at his best, running at defenders and scoring goals with ease is a tempting one.

    And for a man in search of a challenge, lifting the air of gloom that has enveloped Stamford Bridge this season will certainly not be easy.

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