Tall Story or Transfer Truth?

Sports News - February 03, 2009

CARLO ANCELOTTI will pay an astonishing £45million for Alexandre Pato – and then loan him back to Ac Milan for a year!

Chelsea will happily smash the transfer record for a teenager, previously the £27.5m paid for Wayne Rooney, but allow Pato to stay in Italy until after the World Cup.

Ancelotti believes his former club will now do business after rejecting all of Chelsea’s earlier approaches for the 19-year-old, tipped to be one of the world’s best.

A Stamford Bridge insider said: “Ancelotti’s so keen to capture Pato that he will pay a club record fee and still allow the kid to stay at Milan for another season. That tells you how highly he values him.”

The Blues boss gave Pato his big break in Italian football after he was signed from Brazil’s Internacional in 2007.

And Pato is indebted to Ancelotti for that and has a great loyalty to him as a result.

The source added: “The boy would come to Chelsea right now but Milan have just sold Kaka and do not want to lose another top star.

“That’s why this deal could make all the difference. Milan get their money up front and keep his services for one more season and have plenty of time to scout a replacement.

“Chelsea are hoping it is the perfect deal both for them and for Milan.” (News of the World)

Could this possbly be true or is this tabloid getting a little ahead of itself? After losing Kaka Ac Milan faced an almighty backlash from their own supporters who rioted at the club’s training ground in protest and the fact that they this deal would mean they would get the Brazilian youngster back on loan is not likely to placate the clubs fans.

If it does come to fruition it would be a damn good deal given that their current top two strikers, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka are both the wrong side of 30. Having already signed up impressive English youngster Daniel Sturridge Carlo Ancelotti is keen to bring in more up and coming talent for the future and Brazilian teenager Pato is already the real deal and would be a fantastic capture, albeit a slightly delayed one.

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