As it is famously said and I quote, “Ability is rated in men by what they finish, not by what they attempt.” – Specifically applied to football, Alexandre Pato is probably the most suitable candidate to whom it can be applied.
Having played at the top level for clubs like AC Milan and Corinthians along with the national Brazil side, Pato is one of those good young stars not really gone ahead to become great yet still possesses the attitude required to be one. At 26 years, he still has a lot of football to look forward to and what better way of seeing off a quality career at London’s most valuable Stamford Bridge. He must surely visualize himself as the goalscoring striker the Blues have longed for since the departure of legendary figures like Shevchenko and Drogba.
Although, revelling under immense pressure on the attack for Chelsea remains to be a certain aggressive forward in the cape of Diego Costa. The mean machine has been at the top of his game, not allowing the bosses to give Pato a break at possibly cementing his place in the first side taking the headlines by storm. Needless to say, Pato, personally, would want any and every chance of sticking at Stamford Bridge playing in the most popular league in the world where all the footballing attention exists. He might even want to redeem his worth that was lost at the fag end of his stay in Milan.
Despite a flamboyant personality and much-talked about personal life, Pato has emerged as a top-level professional footballer who has been the news for reasons not directly related to football. He is definitely aware of that and desires to mend all the hype by delivering stellar performances at the club he is for good.
The 26-year-old forward arrived at Chelsea at a point in his career when he extremely short on match fitness, having not played since last year, and the Brazil international was given a decent window of time to train by manager Guus Hiddink in an effort to return to the level expected to compete in the Premier league.
Pato was brought in to offer a support for Diego Costa given that alternative options Loic Remy and Radamel Falcao were both struggling with injury and bad form, in particular. But despite Chelsea including Pato in their squads for both the Premier League and Champions League, the Blues failed to prosper and went down with a dismal and a trophiless campaign. As and when an opportunity knocks on the door, Conte must give the Brazilian a call-up and restore parity to a knight whose armour is not-so-shining anymore.
Should Chelsea Sign Pato Permanently?
Yes! Chelsea must keep Alexandre Pato at Stamford Bridge until next season at least. The 26-year old is curenly on loan and has made just two Premier League appearances, scoring once. As per reports, Corinthians believe that Pato is going to be signed by the Blues on a permanent transfer despite his aloofness in the game. The Brazilian club expects him to be with Chelsea next season in spite of young talent such as Dominic Solanke and Bertrand Traore being available to new coach Anonio Conte.
Also, with rumors being swirled around at the expense of a possible Diego Costa exit from London, the Italian manager must have already thought about boosting his attacking options. Just in case the Spaniard decides to leave, Conte would still be rest assured with Pato around. Taking a closer look at Pato in the pre-season is Conte’s plan as he has been a fan of the former AC Milan striker since his early days. So he better take a chance of having a closer look at the Brazilian before making a decision over whether to sign him.
For Pato, there should be another opportunity at his disposal offering him a big career lifeline at Stamford Bridge.