Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato has expressed his desire to come and play in the English Premier League amidst rumours linking him with clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea.
The 26-year old joined AC Milan in 2007 as a teenager and went on to play alongside footballing greats like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and David Beckham. The striker scored nine goals for the Rossoneri in eighteen appearances during his first season. A further thirty-one goals in the next two seasons made him one of the hottest properties in European football. However, a spate of injuries stunted his development, leading to his departure to Brazilian club Corinthians in 2013.
The Brazilian revealed that he was scouted by Chelsea in 2007 before he moved to the San Siro in order to fulfil his dream to play with Ronaldo and Paolo Maldini.
“Before I came to Italy to play for Milan in 2007 I saw in the papers that my name was mentioned in connection with some English clubs,” he said.
“I was told Chelsea were interested but my dream was to play with [the Brazilian] Ronaldo. When Milan called my manager, I wanted to go there to make my dreams of playing with Ronaldo and [Paolo] Maldini come true.”
“But one day I knew I would like to come to England because I think the Premier League is the number one in the world. It is very competitive. I like the emotion in the English league. You look at the TV and you see the stadium and the fans,” Pato added.
“My dream is to come back to Europe. I think it has to be to a club that plays to be champions. That challenges and has ambition.”
Pato was close to joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2012
The ex-Milan striker also revealed that he was subject to a €28 million bid from Paris Saint-Germain in 2012, but Milan did not want to sell him then and he ended up in Brazil the next year.
"I played very well in AC Milan but I had two years of injury problems. I needed to change teams and the city for my mentality.
“Paris St Germain called my manager and offered me a contract to sign for them,” Pato explained.
“They had a contract on the table. I needed to think and talk to my family and my manager. A day later, [Milan president Silvio] Berlusconi called me and said: 'Pato stays here.’ A year later, I went to Brazil.”
