Villareal not interested in signing former Chelsea striker

Villarreal are set to turn down the opportunity to sign former AC Milan and Chelsea forward Alexandre Pato, despite agreeing a fee with current club Corinthians.

The Brazilian striker has returned to his homeland after a disappointing six month spell in the Premier League, in which he only made two appearances for Chelsea.

Corinthians are keen to get the 26-year-old, who they purchased from Milan in 2013, off their books, particularly as he has less than six months remaining on his contract and would soon be eligible to leave for free.

Spanish outfit Villarreal have agreed a €5 million deal with the Brazilian champions, although the move has now been cast into doubt due to concerns surrounding Pato’s physical condition, according to Fichajes.net.

The former Internacional man has been plagued with injuries throughout his career, most notably during his time with Milan, and Villarreal have seemingly opted against taking a risk on him.

With Pato rarely featuring for Timão and spending a considerable period of time on loan at city rivals São Paulo, Corinthians are happy to offload him.

Indeed, the Brazil international had looked set to join Lazio recently, until

Marcelo Bielsa’s sudden resignation from his coaching role after only two days

scuppered any chance of a deal.

Pato scored 63 goals in 150 appearances for Milan between 2008 and 2012, after making a goalscoring debut as an 18-year-old for the club.