Alexandre Pato Returns to English Football in Boardroom Role

Alexandre Pato is set for a surprise return to English football – this time in the boardroom.

Northampton Town have announced they have reached agreement with a consortium that includes the former AC Milan, Chelsea and Brazil forward over a proposed shareholding acquisition in the League Two club.

Sports Alpha Capital (SAC), the investment group fronting the move, saw its proposed deal approved by both the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) and the English Football League (EFL) earlier this month. The regulatory green light cleared the way for formal agreements to be signed.

The Cobblers say they expect to be “in a position to confirm completion of the process” next week, signalling that the final paperwork and remaining details are close to being wrapped up.

“Football club transactions always have many moving parts and often take a little longer than you would hope, but we are thrilled to be moving forward,” said Northampton chairman Kelvin Thomas, welcoming the progress after a lengthy period of talks.

Joao Xavier, founding partner at Sports Alpha Capital, underlined the significance of the latest step. “We are very happy to have reached formal agreements. Obviously obtaining IFR and EFL approvals was a big step, but this is also a very important milestone, and we look forward to closing next week,” he said.

SAC are no strangers to the lower reaches of the English pyramid. They held discussions earlier this year over a potential takeover of Colchester United, only to walk away after initial talks. This time, the process has advanced far deeper, with formal agreements now in place at Sixfields.

Pato is listed by SAC as one of its investors, alongside Gemcorp Capital, a London-based independent investment management firm. The size of SAC’s proposed shareholding in Northampton Town has not been disclosed, leaving questions over the precise scale of their influence once the deal is completed.

For Pato, 37, it marks a notable shift into club investment less than a year after he called time on his playing career. The Brazilian made his name in Europe with a thrilling five-and-a-half-year spell at AC Milan, scoring 63 goals in 150 matches and lifting the Serie A title in the 2010-11 season.

Now, instead of leading the line, he is preparing to help lead a club. Northampton’s supporters will soon discover exactly what that means for a team fighting to climb the EFL ladder.