Alexandre Pato: Manchester United Turn to £35M Brazilian Teen Sensation as Benzema Nears Madrid

Reports in Italy suggest Manchester United have entered the chase for AC Milan’s teenage star Alexandre Pato after being outbid by Real Madrid for number one target Karim Benzema. Chelsea have been attempting to bring the young Brazilian to Stamford Bridge all summer but Sir Alex has now expressed a strong interest.

It’s of no surprise that two of the wealthiest clubs in the world are chasing the 19-year-old as he enjoyed a fantastic season and his age marks him down as a terrific prospect. Last season Pato scored 15 league goals in 36 league games for Milan (27 starts) which was the 5th best record in Serie A and only one goal behind Real Madrid new boy Kaka.

Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva was born in Pato Branco, Parano and was given the nickname ‘Pato’ in honour of his place of birth. The Portuguese translation of ‘Pato’ is ‘The Duck’ which he has been called by many commentators.

The Brazilian joined club side Internacional aged 11 despite growing up supporting their fierce rivals Gremio. Unfortunately the same year Pato found a potentially malignant tumour in his arm which occurred after he broke it. The family could not afford to have it removed despite the threat of it becoming cancerous within two months. Fortunately a friend of the family operated on it for free.

Pato made his league debut in November 2006 scoring in a 4-1 away win v Palmeiras aged 17. The following season he made 9 league appearances (8 starts) scoring 5 goals. He also scored twice in five Copa Libertadores matches. This impressive form prompted AC Milan to sign him in August 2007. However, due to Italian football regularions concerning non-EU minors he was not able to play an official match for the club until January 2008. However, he was able to play in friendlies and scored in his first friendly appearance v Dynamo Kiev in September 2007.

The Brazilian teen also scored on his Serie A debut for the club against Napoli in a 5-2 win. That first season he scored an impressive 9 goals in 18 league appearances (13 starts). Last season the 19-year-old bettered that tally with 15 league goals as he became a regular in the Milan starting line-up. This form has prompted much praise which includes David Beckham and Carlo Ancelotti. Beckham said, “I have seen him in training and on the pitch. He is only 19 years of age and I can think he can become one of the greatest players in the world.”

New Chelsea manager Ancelotti said, “He has an incredible shot and great speed. In fact, he is twice as fast as a normal athlete.” Therefore, it’s no surprise he wants the youngster with him at the Bridge.

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Despite his youth Pato has won his fair share of trophies. He picked up the Recopa Sudamericana in 2007 scoring in both legs v Mexican outfit Pachuca. He also won the 2006 World Club Cup as Internacional beat Barcelona 1-0 in the final. He won the 2007 South American U20 Championship as well as finished the same competition’s MVP and top scorer in 2006. Pato was part of the Brazilian side that won the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was part of the victorious squad that recently won the Confederations Cup but only played 28 minutes in the tournament. Pato has won 8 caps for his country but only scored once. That goal came again on his debut in a 1-0 win over Sweden at the Emirates Stadium in March 2008, 12 minutes after coming on as substitute.

Milan were thought to have rejected a “monster offer” from an English club thought to be Chelsea with Vice-president Adriano Galliani declaring, “The only offer that has arrived to our club was a monster offer from England for Alexandre Pato. I continue to believe that there isn’t a player in the world that is as strong as him of his age. In any case, no one should worry because he is under contract [until] June 2012.”

Despite these comments speculation continues to suggest the player could be on the move with Milan in financial difficulty. Manchester United may have been beaten to main target Karim Benzema but the signing of Alexandre Pato would more than make up for this as not only is he younger but he has also shown his goal scoring ability in a far harder league than France. However, the player’s relationship with Carlo Ancelotti may be the key to the signing as well as a price tag of £35m.

Would United fans like to sign the teenage star or would you prefer a more established striker? Could Pato be the key to Chelsea’s success next season under Ancelotti? Let’s hear your views.

Tags: AC Milan, Alexandre Pato, Brazil, Chelsea, Internacional, Manchester United

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 at 09:18 and is filed under Features, Home Features, Transfer News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.