Alexandre Pato Agrees Three-year Deal Ahead Of £7m Chelsea Switch

ESPN Brazil is reporting that Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign striker Alexandre Pato, with the last remaining hurdle the players signature before completing a January transfer thought to be in the region of £12m.

According to reports, both clubs have agreed on a fee for the 26-year-old Brazil striker. ESPN claim that Pato will sign a £1.77m-a-year contract at Stamford Bridge, which equates to around £35,000-a-week. The former AC Milan forward has openly expressed his desire to move to the Premier League.

“I would like to come to England because I think the championship [Premier League] is the No1 in the world”, Pato said.

“I want to write a new story in Europe, to make a new history. I want to come to win the championship and play again in the Champions League. I have dreams again. I want to create this new story, a good new story.”

Pato rejected a €9m per-year salary offer to join Chinese second-tier side Tianjin Quanjian, making it clear that he wants to return to Europe three years after leaving AC Milan.

Liverpool has been tipped as favorite to seal Pato’s signature for two consequtuve weeks.

Having won Uefa’s Gold Boy award in 2009 after being voted the most promising youngster in Europe, Pato has suffered a rapid decline which saw him fall out-of-favour at Milan and move back to his homeland in 2013 to join Corinthians, only for the Brazilian club to send him on loan to Sao Paulo a year later where he scored 26 goals in 61 appearances over two years with the club.

Should the move be completed before noon on Friday, Pato could be eligible to play against Arsenal in their Premier League encounter at the Emirates, although it would depend on Pato being granted a work permit first.