Arsenal enter race for AC Milan wantaway striker

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is reportedly considering a move for AC Milan striker Alexnadre Pato. The Brazilian international has put in a transfer request and looks likely to leave the San Siro sooner rather than later as the Serie A side continue to conduct a cost cutting exercise that saw stars Thiago Silva & Zlatan Ibrahimovic leave over the summer.

Pato has increasingly become something of a bit part player at AC Milan down to a series of injury concerns and less than spectacular form when called upon. The emergence of young Italian Stephane El Shaarawy may make the sale of the Brazilian more likely and Rossoneri vice-president Adriano Galliani has publicly confirmed the likely departure of the striker as well as his fellow countryman Robinho.

“We have two negotiations going on, both Pato and Robinho asked to leave Milan”

Whilst there is growing speculation that Pato could return to Brazil in an attempt to re-ignite his career there is perhaps scope for a possible interest in a move to the Premier League.

Pato was at one point considered one of the hottest young prospects in world football but has in recent seasons failed to live up to that early expectation.

The former Internacional forward moved to AC Milan at the age of 17 and wasted little time getting to grips with life in the Italian top tier, scoring on his Serie A debut. Pato was a fairly prolific marksman for the first four seasons at the club, netting 57 goals in 125 appearances but over the past 18 months the striker has scored just six goals and appears to be a player boss Massimiliano Allegri is willing to sell.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger could certainly do with some fresh attacking options and the possibility of picking up a player with Pato’s experience and still some way short of his 24th birthday makes him the type of player the Gunners manager would hope to bring to the Emirates Stadium.

Wenger has been linked with interest in Spanish strikers Fernando Llorente, Adrian Lopez and David Villa but arguably Pato would offer the Frenchman a more natural fit to fill the role at the spearhead of the Arsenal attack.

-->

-->

Source: CaughtOffside