Former Chelsea flop Alexandre Pato set for return to football on just £8,000-per-week

Former Chelsea flop Alexandre Pato is closing in on a return to football having been released from MLS side Orlando City after suffering a horror knee injury last September.

The Brazilian spent half a season on loan with the Blues from Corinthians in the 2015/16 campaign but only made two appearances with interim manager Guus Hiddink unwilling to give the striker frequent opportunities.

Since, the now-33-year-old has had spells in Spain, China, Brazil and the United States but is currently a free agent after leaving Orlando in January.

Pato started his career in his native Brazil with Internacional but made a name for himself in Italy with AC Milan, scoring 63 goals in 150 appearances between 2007 and 2013.

A return to Brazil with Corinthians followed before a two-year loan spell at Sao Paulo and a brief stint at Stamford Bridge.

Now, according to reports, the veteran could be set for a third spell at Sao Paulo, having spent his second between 2019 and 2020.

The free agent has been going through rehab at the Brazilian Serie A club's training ground while recovering from his knee injury and, according to UOL Esporte, Pato's former outfit could now offer him a contract worth just £8,000-per-week.

With 27 appearances and 10 goals to his name for Brazil, the 33-year-old's career has certainly been bizarre but a return to top-flight football in his homeland could be exactly what he needs to finish his time as a footballer, despite low pay even for standards in the Brazilian top flight.

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The deal would run until the end of 2023 with Sao Paulo enduring a mediocre start to the campaign for their standards, picking up eight points from their opening five league matches with the six-time Brazilian champions seventh in Serie A.

Additionally, once a juggernaut of Brazilian football, Sao Paulo haven't lifted major silverware since 2012 when winning the Copa Sudamericana and haven't won Serie A since 2008.

Although Pato may not be the answer to their trophy drought, the 33-year-old's experience could certainly benefit the Brazilian outfit while the striker himself would receive a fresh opportunity to play professional football.

Topics: Brazil, Chelsea, AC Milan

Dan Hargraves

Dan is a freelance sports journalist currently in his final year studying Football Journalism at the University of Derby. Currently working for SPORTBible and Reach PLC, he has also worked for Snack Media amongst others. His proudest work thus far came at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games where he was a live blogger for the Commonwealth Games Federation, providing sports coverage on the tournament's official website to over a billion people.

@danjhargraves