Alexandre Pato set to return to English football as investor into third-tier club

A consortium including Alexandre Pato has had its proposed shareholding acquisition of Northampton Town approved by the Independent Football Regulator and English Football League, the club have said. Former Chelsea , AC Milan and Brazil striker Pato is an investor at Sports Alpha Capital, "a football-focused investment group" with "a strong connection between Brazil and the UK." Pato was at his best during a near-six-year spell with Milan where he won the Serie A title in 2010-11. In 2016 he scored on his Chelsea debut but managed just two Premier League appearances. His return to English football is set to be as an investor. Northampton chairman Kelvin Thomas said: "As one of the first football clubs to be considered under the new regulatory framework, the proposed investors have been required to successfully navigate both the EFL clearance and IFR approval processes. "This has been