In an article for the Evening Standard today, Harry Redknapp has expressed his surprise over the proposed signing of Corinthians striker Alexandre Pato on a loan deal.
Redknapp said:
I was offered Pato at QPR this time last year but we turned him down because he wasn’t what we needed at the time. He played against my Tottenham team when we faced AC Milan in the Champions League but seems to have faded away and ended up back in Brazil.
Redknapp goes on to compare Pato to Stoke City’s Bojan…
He’s a little bit like Bojan at Stoke. He started off with a huge reputation as a kid but never really fulfilled his potential. Bojan did really well at Stoke but now he looks like he’s lost his form.
If Pato works out half as well as Bojan, Chelsea fans have reason to be a little bit excited. Recent transfers at the Bridge such as Papy Djilobodji, Mohammed Salah and Juan Cuadrado have failed to fulfill expectations in England’s top flight due to a lack of physical presence.
Nonetheless, Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri’s wants to extend the Colombian’s stay, according to Gazzetta World showing the difference in class between Serie A and the English Premier League.
If Cuadrado failed at Chelsea what’s to say Pato won’t suffer the same fate?
As Redknapp said, back in 2010 Pato was rated as one of the best attacking talents in the world. Pato has been capped 27 times for Brazil but has not played since November, and many believe he is a similar gamble to the one Jose Mourinho made with Radamel Falcao.
Needless to say, Chelsea fans will hope for a better outcome from this loan deal.
