Pato consortium set for Northampton Town takeover

A group led by former AC Milan, Chelsea, and Brazil football star Alexandre Pato is expected to acquire a majority share in League Two club Northampton Town, according to BBC Sport. Sports Alpha Capital, which was previously in talks to takeover Colchester United, eventually abandoned its plans. Pato, 36, retired from playing last year but is involved with the consortium without leading it.

Known for his successful tenure at AC Milan, where he scored 63 goals in 150 appearances and led the team to the Serie A title in the 2010-11 season, Pato also had a stint on loan at Chelsea during the latter part of the 2015-16 campaign. The news of the potential takeover comes after Northampton chairman Kelvin Thomas announced last month that a well-funded group's investment proposal was largely agreed upon.

The club, which experienced relegation to the fourth tier last season, finishing at the bottom of the League One table, reported a pre-tax loss of nearly £3m in April. In an effort to improve their financial situation, the club appointed Chris Hogg as their manager in May and has added seven new players to the squad during the transfer window, including striker Matty Warhurst from Manchester City and midfielder Connor Lemonheigh-Evans from MK Dons.