ESPN Brazil reports Spurs bid for Pato

Tottenham Hotspur have made an £8 million bid for Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato, according to ESPN Brazil TV. On Sunday, Pato said he had an offer from abroad, but would not reveal the club.

Pato is currently on loan at Sao Paulo from Corinthians, but there was a clause in his loan deal that he could still be sold if Corinthians accepted an offer for him during the European transfer window. Because Corinthians are still paying a portion of his wages, they'd like to sell him at any price. One of their rivals would also lose a good player, so it's a win-win for them.

This current season has been Pato's best since his early AC Milan days. He's dominated cup and state league competition while scoring in every other match at a higher level, in the Brasileirao and continental competition. Also, his injury troubles appear to be behind him -- he's played a lot in three consecutive seasons.

I'm very skeptical of the source here, and I'm not sure Pato's a great fit. But he's spectacular when he's at his best, and this is a low-risk move. Plus, it's a bit late in the window for his agent or Corinthians to be faking links to Spurs just to get his name in the press. We're rating this unlikely but not impossible, and a decent but not spectacular move if it comes off.