Alexandre Pato made just two appearances in his six months with the club.
Former Chelsea striker Alexandre Pato has claimed to The Players’ Tribune that he regrets joining the West London club back in 2016.
He was introduced to a struggling squad midway through the 2015/16 season, where the club languished in mid-table despite winning the league both the season before and after.
Many of Chelsea’s big stars such as Diego Costa, Oscar and particularly Eden Hazard were way off the pace during this campaign.
Pato made just two appearances in his six months with the club, scoring on his debut against Aston Villa. But, he has now claimed his time at Stamford Bridge left him regretting the move.
Alexandre Pato said: “You know why I played so much better at São Paulo? They looked after me properly. There I just had to play. But when Chelsea called me, I was still dreaming of Europe. Unfortunately, I paid the price again for being overprotected.
“I still didn’t get it. I thought that Chelsea would loan me for six months and then I’d sign for three years. I didn’t realise that they could say no after the loan. Had I known? I would have gone elsewhere. It was a pity, because I was training really well, and the coach only played me twice. I never understood why.”
Pato’s career was hitting some serious heights before his time in London, most notably at AC Milan in Italy.
Alexandre Pato is still featuring in the MLS, although has hardly shown signs of returning to his prolific best in the twilight of his career.
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