Chelsea chasing Pato

Chelsea are trailing AC Milan’s Alexandre Pato according  with a cash-plus-player deal being mooted. Manager Andre Villas-Boas is set to try and persuade Blues owner Roman Abramovich to try and sign the Brazilian forward. A £30 million-player-plus-cash deal is in the pipeline for the player who has been tracked by Chelsea for the last three years. Villas-Boas see’s the striker as the perfect foil for Fernando Torres and believes their partnership could fire the club to Champions League success. Chelsea are understood to be willing to offer £20 million plus either Nicolas Anelka or Salomon Kalou in exchange for Pato’s services. It’s thought that Milan are prepared to let the Brazilian go if they can secure the signature of Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli. However they may ask Chelsea for more money if they do go ahead with a move for Balotelli who has admitted he wants a move away from City. Pato scored 14 goals in 25 appearances last season at the San Siro despite being afflicted by minor injures all year losing his place in the national team to Neymar in the process. However the 21-year-old has plenty of Champions League experience for a player of his age and fits the profile of the type of player Villas-Boas wants at Stamford Bridge.