There have been numerous rumours linking Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato with a move to Europe and in particular, Liverpool. It seems that the former AC Milan has put the ghosts of his injuries past him and is fine goal scoring form. However, we for one, believe that the Reds should stay away from the move and here’s why
- Injury Record
The club is currently plagued with a number of injuries to its key strikers like Danny Ings and Daniel Sturridge. While Pato’s last major injury occurred in the year 2012-13, he had a pretty chequered injury record previously. English League is believed to be way more physically demanding than the Serie A and that might result in a major injury concern for the player and the club. With Daniel Sturridge already presenting a headache to the medical staff at Anfield, Liverpool will be better served if they invest the money in a striker with a better injury record.
2. The presence of better strikers
While Pato might have been rather prolific at Milan, at 26 years of age, he is already believed to be a spent force. He scored a meagre 1 goal in his last 2 seasons in Europe primarily due to the injuries. However, it must also be noted that his most prolific season in the continent was way back in the year 2008-09 when he scored 18 goals in all competitions.
This season he has beaten his personal best by a rather good margin but we believe a move back to Europe and England will present a considerable challenge for the Brazilian. We would recommend that Liverpool would reap better rewards if they pursued the likes of Bony, Aubameyang and Lacazette who might be open to a move to the Merseyside for top class football/ first team opportunity.
While Pato might himself have come out and spoken that he would like to move to England to compete in the world’s toughest league, it should not be taken too seriously. After all, agents these days govern most of what players say to improve the demand for his skills in the market.
Pato told in a recent interview: “I would like to come to England because I think the championship is the number one in the world.
“Now I’m ready for a new challenge. I want to write a new story in Europe, to make a new history.
“I want to come to win the championship and play again in the Champions League.
“I have dreams again. I want to create this new story, a good new story.”
Pato is believed to be valued at £15million and he revealed that he has already sounded out some Brazilians in the Premier League about a possible move – including two of Liverpool’s trio.
He added: “I have spoken to ‘Willian, [Roberto] Firmino, [Philippe] Coutinho and David Luiz before.
“I think Brazilians can play here. You can mix talent and intelligence and Brazilian players can play here.”
3. Better Value for Liverpool’s Money available
His value is believed to be around 15 million which we think is a tad too much for Pato. While the amount might not necessarily fetch a Bony or Lacazette, when converted in terms of goals per million per season, we believe that signing either of the other three will yield better results in England. His salary is also quite high which will make him a rather heavy transfer compared to other available players.
