The well suspected transfer of Alexandre Pato to Chelsea has finally been completed. Reports in the forward’s native Brazil emerged last week detailing Chelsea’s interest in the one-time teenage prodigy. Since then intrigue around the story gathered pace finally concluding Friday evening.
Initially signed on a six-month loan deal, Pato joins the Premier League Champions during their worst season in recent years. Wallowing in the bottom half of the table, Chelsea are motivated in writing their wrongs and have started to do so under temporary manager, Mr. Fix-It Guus Hiddink. Although the Blues have gone on an unbeaten run since the Dutchman’s arrival, scoring 14 goals in 7 Premier League games, one of the identified problems which has attributed to Chelsea’s dismal season is their inability to convert goal-scoring chances. Unable to rely on unpredictable and hotheaded Diego Costa, Chelsea look light in options. Truthfully the London side have needed to add to their firepower upfront since unwelcomed realisations have sobered thoughts at the club regarding the potential of former Columbian star Falcao.
The inefficiencies of that loan deal concerning Radamel Falcao (due to continued injuries) leaves the Blues lacking options upfront. Acquiring a forward to help bolster the attacking prowess of the team is a necessity in order for Chelsea to climb up the league and possibly challenge for a prized forth place finish.
Pato, on the other hand, is desperate to cement his place in a team. The one-time wonderkid of Internacional has suffered terribly from injuries, of which hampered his much publicised European adventure with AC Milan. His return to the Campeonato Brasileiro in 2013 fell equally flat. However after being farmed out to São Paulo from his parent club Corinthians, Pato has seen an improvement in his form, attributing this to the fact he is finally in a good place mentally and physically.
‘I have had a good season at Sao Paulo. I played 59 games and scored 26 goals. That is the best season of my career. Now I feel that my body and my mental strength are both good. My confidence is back. I had a couple of years of having injuries at AC Milan and it started to affect my mentality and my confidence.’
– Alexandre Pato
However not everything is rosy for the young man. With only one year remaining on his contract, Corinthians and some of their fans see no glorious return on the horizon for Pato. Unable to settle at the club (in the opinion of those on the board) and unforgivably missing goal-scoring chances (in the opinion of passionate Corinthians supporters) there seems to be no way back for the 26 year old.
Corinthians don’t want to lose out on him financially and had hoped his form with São Paulo would reignite interest. It’s taken a while for that interest to amount to anything serious with many reported suitors unsatisfied with his potential to improve. That is until now. Chelsea have taken the bait possibly due to the desperate situation they find themselves in. Looking at it from a certain angle it seems that this transfer has only been made possible to the meeting of one party’s unfortunate situation with another, begging the question, who wins out of this deal?
It could all go swimmingly for everyone involved. In which case, Chelsea will have the option to buy and Pato will have the chance to fulfil his footballing ambitions. Though Chelsea’s track record has historically been hit and miss in the striker department. From Chris Sutton, Andriy Shevchenko and Fernando Torres; awfully dire in the face of great expectations, to Stamford Bridge legends, Peter Osgood, Gianfranco Zola and Didier Drogba. It really could go either way; ranging on a scale of colossal failure to legendary status. And the truth is its like that at every football club. In Pato’s wondrous footballing journey he will unfortunately register as a failure at Corinthians. With Chelsea the script is yet to be written and will depend on how he takes on the challenge of the Premier League.
On the face of it, Pato and Chelsea seem a perfect match in terms of having a point to prove. Signed and sealed on a temporary deal, Alexandre Pato must now deliver to secure permanent move to Chelsea.Whilst the fallen Champions must prove they are no chumps, the Brazilian needs to prove to those in his country and more importantly to himself that he can still play with the boys in Europe.
The Blue Daze 