Whilst the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and West Ham were all playing major roles in the race to land former AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato last month – Guus Hiddink ultimately came out on top when Chelsea officially announced the loan signing of the Brazilian front-man just a few weeks ago.

Although a permanent move could be on the cards for the once highly rated 26-year-old at the end of the current season, Pato initially arrives at Stamford Bridge on a temporary basis for the rest of the 2015/16 campaign – and despite slipping under the radar in recent years, he serves to excite Blues fans with his potential exploits out on the pitch.

So have Chelsea simply landed themselves an overhyped has-been who won’t likely make much of a difference down at Stamford Bridge this term, or could Alexandre Pato set the Premier League alight between now and the end of the season?

Despite facing a succession of testing injuries throughout his early career and subsequently falling out of favour among the San Siro back in 2013, this is a player who few will be able to resist keeping a watchful eye on this campaign.

[ffc-gal cat="chelsea" no="5"]

Even though the former Brazil international certainly hasn’t been at his best in recent years, the name ‘Alexandre Pato’ still carries a certain weight in the modern era for all those who remember how impressive this front-man once prove among the Italian Serie A with AC Milan.

In-fact, before suffering a rather surprise downturn in fortune in Italy and being forced to move back to South America for a whole manner of differing reasons, many initially expected Pato to develop into one of the most talked about names in world football. He seemed to possess all the necessary traits to make it within the highest level of the European game, possibly even rivalling the achievements of both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo during the early stages of each of their respective careers.

Chelsea could therefore be on the end of a very impressive move here. Via his quick turn of pace inside the final third, dangerously effective ball-control in tight spaces and undoubted ability when it came to taking on long shots from just outside the penalty box, Pato once proved a player who certainly knew how to find the back of the net, and in rather explosive style at that.

However, as the often physically testing nature of the English top-flight will likely provide the newly acquired Chelsea man with a sharp increase in quality than what can be offered in Brazil, there really are no clear-cut guarantees surrounding the former AC Milan star and his supposed ability to make a real name for himself among the Premier League.

Although no one could really accuse Pato of failing to possess the right level of potential to thrive down at Stamford Bridge this season, the South American striker is yet to truly prove himself after disappearing from the European scene just a handful of short season ago.

As Chelsea don’t exactly find themselves in the most stable of positions right now, perhaps the new Blues no. 11 will find life within the Premier League far tougher than initial appearances first make out. He will likely impress when working alongside some of the equally gifted front-men operating at Stamford Bridge this term, but whether or not the one time Brazilian sensation can score regularly throughout the remainder of the current campaign simply remains to be decided…

So whilst such a move represents little long-term risk for the Blues, Alexandre Pato simply has it all to do if he really wants to help Chelsea raise some much needed positivity in and around their club this season.

[ad_pod id='football-survey' align='center']

[ad_pod id='writeforus' align='center']