Arsenal and Spurs linked with Brazil striker Alexandre Pato

Alexandre Pato

They may have signed Yaya Sanogo and Roberto Soldado respectively, but it’s no secret that Arsenal and Tottenham were keen to sign an additional striker in the summer. With January approaching, it seems they are already eyeing up potential targets, with Corinthians’ former Milan striker Alexandre Pato reportedly the focus of both London clubs’ attention, according to the Daily Mail.

The 24-year-old endured a frustrating, injury-ravaged end to what started out as a promising career at the San Siro. Things have improved for him back in his homeland, with him scoring eight goals in 15 starts for a side that is struggling in 11th place in the Brazilian league. It’s clear he is still a very talented player, which is why these clubs are reportedly interested. In fact, Pato confirmed that Spurs had made an offer for him during the summer, but he turned it down, according to Sky Sports.

Alexandre Pato – Goals Scored

In terms of how he would boost the front lines of both clubs, he is a player who has great pace and likes using it to sprint in behind the opposition defence. He is also a mobile striker, often drifting wide to get on the ball and try to link up with team-mates.

Alexandre Pato Stats

He is a fine dribbler too, not lacking the confidence to try a trick to get past his defender. So far this season, he is averaging 3.3 take-ons per game, completing 43% of them. Although he is not strong in headed duels, which is to be expected given his lack of height (1.79 metres), he is strong enough to hold off defenders, thanks to the bulking up he did during his Milan days. Given his strength and trickery, he is seen as a handful in the final third and has been fouled an average of 1.8 times per game as a result.

But his link-up play needs improvement. Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud, who would be the Brazil international’s competition up front, has improved immensely this season in this regard, averaging 1.7 created chances per game and making a joint club- and league-high four assists in his nine appearances to date. As good as those number are, they don’t reflect the Frenchman’s wonderful movement and awareness, and they don’t describe the deft touches he makes in and around the penalty area. His touches for Jack Wilshere’s goal against Norwich City, for example, were absolutely sublime.

Spurs’ Soldado has done well in this department too, despite not firing on all cylinders on the goal front. He is averaging 1.6 created chances per game so far this season, and has a joint club-high two assists to his name. Despite creating just 10 chances in 24 appearances, Pato is capable of good link-up play as he has wonderful technique and movement, but it would take playing in an Arsenal or Spurs squad that is by far better than Corinthians’ to bring out the best in him here.

The same applies on the goal front. Corinthians have struggled to create chances for themselves this season, managing just 230 in 31 games, which sees them rank rather disappointingly in 18th place in the league. On a closely-related note, they’ve scored the league’s second-lowest amount of goals (24, an average of less than one per game) and the 14 assists they’ve made is the league’s lowest tally. Internacional, though third in the league’s ‘goals scored’ chart (47), rank first for ‘chances created,’ having set up more than twice Corinthians’ amount (493). They also have more than three times their amount of assists (46). Spurs, meanwhile, have created the most chances in the English Premier League (119), while Arsenal have made the most assists (17).

With that in mind, the stage seems set for the Brazilian to shine at either English club. He has to take the chances presented to him, however. His current manager Tite had to come out in defence of his striker on more than one occasion after he missed several goal-scoring opportunities, drawing criticism as a result. But we should remember the sensational goal he scored against Barcelona, highlighting the pure talent he has.

Alexandre Pato – Shot Accuracy

A shot accuracy of 62% is very good at the outset, but more composure and better placement would see him convert more of his shots and thus better his current one-in-three strike rate.

But besides these technical and tactical factors, a player’s mentality plays a significant role in his success–or failure–as a professional footballer. To illustrate, Mesut Ozil arrived at Arsenal with huge confidence in his ability and played to that effect, helping him to make a success of himself thus far.

At Spurs, meanwhile, Erik Lamela is struggling. Both players are extremely talented, hence the reason their respective clubs splashed club record fees on them, but their strength of character–or lack thereof, as in the case of Lamela is proving to be the telling difference. The attitude that Pato returns to Europe with would help determine if he proves a successful signing there the second time of asking or a flop like the first.

In addition, though a strong enough player physically, he would quickly find out that Serie A and the Brazilian league aren’t nearly as physical as the English Premier League. Given he struggled with muscle injuries in Italy, one wonders how he would fare in England playing as a lone striker up against some very rough and tough, hard-working central defenders. “I had many injuries at Milan. I was playing, getting injured, recovering, and then going back in to see the physio,” Pato told Sport TV back in September, referring to these persistent muscle injuries. “It is the fault of the doctors who were forcing me to return to the pitch too soon.”

To his credit, he has played in the majority of Corinthians’ games so far this season, suggesting that his injury-prone days are behind him. He is a player that still has a lot of time to get his career back on the right track. It’d be interesting to see if he would do that in England at either Arsenal or Spurs.