Alexandre Pato, the former AC Milan and Brazil forward, is part of a consortium looking to acquire Colchester United.
The League Two club announced that the 36-year-old attended Saturday’s home match against Fleetwood Town as a guest of current owner Robbie Cowling.
According to BBC Sport, a deal is “possible,” though there are no immediate plans for an announcement.
Previous negotiations with the US-based Lightwell Sports Group, led by Tom Foley, fell through in June of last year.
The sale process was reopened in September, but Cowling indicated last month that he could not provide a timeline for the conclusion of the deal.
“We have some interested parties, but we’re not interested unless they possess the financial means to take the club further than I have,” he stated to BBC Essex. “There is no defined timeline; it’s crucial that I pass the club on to the right person—it’s like looking for someone to adopt your child; you need to vet them properly.”
Pato, who scored 10 goals in 27 appearances for Brazil, represented his country at the 2012 Olympics in London, where he earned a silver medal after losing to Mexico in the final at Wembley.
He returned to London four years later for a loan spell at Chelsea, where he made just two appearances for the Blues.
In 2023, Pato signed with Sao Paulo but announced his retirement from football at the start of last year.
The consortium’s interest comes as Colchester United experiences a strong run of form under manager Danny Cowley, remaining unbeaten in their last six matches with three consecutive wins. They currently sit eighth in the table, just three points shy of the playoff positions, as they aim to return to the third tier of English football for the first time since 2016.
The takeover process is being managed by American consultant Mitchell B Reiss on behalf of the club.
Pato worked for the media during friendly matches involving AC Milan, Liverpool, and Arsenal last summer [Getty Images]