Chelsea's loan signing seemed like a gimmick in 2016, but the Brazil striker moving to the club saw it as a dream come true
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Chelsea provided former Brazil star Alexandre Pato with an "invaluable experience" when they signed him on loan from Corinthians in 2016, even though he managed to make just two appearances during his time at the club.
Despite Radamel Falcao, Loic Remy and Diego Costa already being at the club, Chelsea decided that the signing of Brazil star Pato could provide some added positivity in a title defence season which had gone horribly wrong.
And though Chelsea fans might see Pato as just another flop, Pato himself clearly wanted things to work out after jumping at the chance to move to a league he hadn't played in before.
Pato loved the one and only Chelsea goal he scored (Image credit: Getty Images)
"I was still at Corinthians when I got the offer from Chelsea," he explains to FourFourTwo. "I didn’t think twice – I wanted to play European football and the possibility of moving to Chelsea came at the right time.
"Sadly, my spell in London didn’t go as I would have planned [he played twice, scoring once], but spending six months at a huge team like Chelsea, in the Premier League, learning the culture of English football, was an invaluable experience. It’s a shame that it didn’t last too long, but it was worth it."
Fitness issues limited Pato's game time at the beginning of his Chelsea career, though, with reports later suggesting that interim manager Guus Hiddink didn't warm to Pato having never requested his signing. But while things may have been nothing more than amicable between the pair, Pato reveals that he is indebted to the Dutch boss for handing him his debut at Chelsea.
Pato's best years came at Milan (Image credit: Getty Images)
"I had a pretty fleeting relationship with him – a manager-player relationship. I really don’t know if he wanted me at Chelsea or not, but I remember that they signed me in a period when there were several strikers out injured – Radamel Falcao, Diego Costa and Bertrand Traore among others. That opened the door for my arrival.
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"My relationship with Guus has always been normal. I’m forever grateful to him for giving me an opportunity to wear the Chelsea jersey and score a goal for the club [against Aston Villa]."
Despite clearly enjoying his time at Chelsea, even if only for a brief period, as well as at Villarreal in 2016/17, Pato's fondest memories in Europe are clearly with Milan, where he spent six years of his early career.
"I loved playing in all three countries, though obviously I spent more time in Italy and that makes me especially fond of Serie A. If I were to return to European football, I’d like to play in Italy again. I won’t close the door on such a move in the next summer transfer window. Who knows? Anything might happen, but I’ll leave it in God’s hands."
Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
