Alexandre Pato consortium strikes formal deal to acquire stake in Northampton Town

Northampton Town have confirmed a formal agreement with Sports Alpha Capital (SAC), the UK/Brazilian investment consortium that includes former Chelsea and Brazil forward Alexandre Pato, in a proposed shareholding acquisition of the League Two club.

Chairman Kelvin Thomas said the club was “thrilled to be moving forward” after finalising agreements, adding that the visit of Pato and other SAC representatives to the Newport game had generated significant excitement among supporters. “We think that excitement will just build,” he said.

Joao Xavier, founding partner at Sports Alpha Capital, confirmed that obtaining IFR and EFL approvals had been a key milestone. “We are very happy to have reached formal agreements and we look forward to closing next week,” he said. Hugh Strange, speaking on behalf of the investors, added that the group was “very excited about the opportunity to build on the excellent foundations in place.”

The deal marks a fresh chapter for SAC after the consortium withdrew from a proposed takeover of fellow League Two side Colchester United earlier this year. London-based investment management firm Gemcorp Capital is also listed among the investors in the group.

Pato, 35, retired from professional football three years ago. He is best remembered for his five-and-a-half-year spell at AC Milan, where he scored 63 goals in 150 appearances and was part of the squad that won the Serie A title in 2010/11. The Brazilian also represented Internacional, Corinthians, São Paulo, Villarreal and Orlando City, as well as Chelsea, where he spent a brief loan spell in 2016.