Has Alexandre Pato finally rediscovered his form, that he once showed, in China? You may be sitting there, scratching your head thinking 'I know that name...' and yes, we are referring to the former AC Milan wonderkid, who scored a stunning, drilled free-kick earlier today.
Pato now plays for Northern China club Tianjin Quanjian alongside Belgium World Cup star Alex Witsel and is seemingly banging them in at his best rate to date, but it has not always been that way for the 28-year-old.
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In 2007 the Golden Boy winner moved from Internacional to Italian giants AC Milan for a reported €24m as one of the most promising teenage talents in the world at the time.
The former Brazil international did enjoy some success for the Rossoneri scoring 57 goals in 125 appearances in his first four seasons at the club across all competitions.
However, in his final two seasons, he could only muster six goals in 25 appearances, severely hampered by injuries.
Pato would be forced to return to Brazil and would spend two years at Corinthians and São Paulo, with unsuccessful spells at Chelsea and Villareal before his €18m move to China.
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Since then Pato appears to have settled well in China, scoring 17 goals in 26 appearances last season. So far this year he has scored nine in 15 appearances, with the season well underway.
At the end of June, Pato caused a buzz among Celtic fans as he tweeted "Europe" with a four-leaf clover emoji.
Could the Brazilian forward be on the way to Glasgow, or was it a nod to Panathinaikos or Shamrock Rovers?
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Do you think we will see Pato in Europe once again? Let us know down below.
Words by George Buksmann.
Topics: Football News, Celtic, Football, AC Milan
