Zenit Saint Petersburg manager Andre Villas-Boas will try again to sign Alexandre Pato this summer, FootballDirectNews.com understands.
The recently-appointed head coach tried to sign the Brazilian striker whilst in charge of Tottenham Hotspur last summer, but failed to lure the former AC Milan man back to European football. Pato has not lived up to the potential seen in him during his days as a youngster, when he joined Milan in 2007 from Internacional and adapted quickly to the game in Italy, though he remains a highly regarded talent. Arsenal and Liverpool have also shown some interest in signing him, though Zenit may now be leading the chase for his signature as Villas-Boas remains an admirer of his talents.
The 24-year-old may find he can get back to his best with the lower demands of top flight football in Russia, and could enjoy working alongside his international team-mate Hulk. Pato is currently with Brazilian side Corinthians, but has been loaned out to Sao Paulo due to becoming unpopular with a large section of the club’s fans for a series of lacklustre performances. Watch Arsenal v Man City Saturday or Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur Sunday.