Former Brazil, AC Milan, and Chelsea forward Alexandre Pato is reportedly in ‘takeover talks’ to invest in a League Two football club.
Pato, who is now 36, was once tipped as one of the best young prospects in world football when he arrived at AC Milan after impressing at his hometown club Internacional as a teenager.
The forward netted 63 times in 150 appearances for the Serie A side but struggled to maintain fitness, suffering from almost constant thigh and hamstring injuries.
After leaving Italy in 2013, he returned to his native Brazil, enjoying stints at Corinthians and São Paulo before a brief loan to Chelsea in 2016.
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He also represented clubs in Spain, China, and the US before finishing his playing career at São Paulo in 2023.
Now, a decade on from his first involvement with English football, the 36-year-old is reportedly in discussions about potentially investing in a fourth-tier side.
As reported by the Colchester Gazette, the Brazilian has held discussions with Colchester United owner and chairman Robbie Cowling about investing in the football club.
Pato is thought to be part of a group of guests who attended the U’s 2-1 win against Fleetwood Town at the JobServe Community Stadium on Saturday (January 24). The side are currently eighth in League Two.
The Gazette claims that the current owner, Cowling, is keen to step away from the club after almost 20 years at the helm, but wants to sell to the correct people who will take care of the football club.
A proposed takeover by the American Lightwell Sports Group was mooted last summer, but ultimately fell through, while other investors from around the globe have also expressed a desire to buy the club.
In 2025, Cowling explained: “I’ve said this before, I want my last decision at the club to be my absolute best decision, and that’s going to be who I hand it on to.
“I think it’s going to take a bit of time; we’ve got to make sure we find the right people that deserve to take on this football club and take it to another level.”
If Pato does invest in the League Two club, he would become the latest ex-player to part-own a professional team, with notable former players such as David Beckham (Inter Miami), Ronaldo Nazario (Real Valladolid), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Hammarby IF), and Cesc Fabregas (Como) also boasting stakes in clubs.
Topics: League Two, Football, David Beckham
Luke Davies