TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Report
Orlando City's Brazilian contingent may be growing.
According to respected reporter CL Merlo, Orlando are interested in signing free-agent forward Alexandre Pato and have submitted an offer. Pato has been without a club since last summer after departing Sao Paulo.
Pato, 31, burst onto the scene as Brazil's next big star when his goal at the 2006 Club World Cup broke Pele's record for youngest goalscorer at a FIFA event. He was 17 years old at the time.
He made a big-money move to reigning European champions AC Milan when he turned 18 and enjoyed a glittering start to life in Italy. He had 63 goals and 18 assists in 150 appearances before injuries derailed his time there and he returned to Brazil to play for Corinthians. He also featured for Chelsea, Villarreal and Chinese club Tianjin Tianhai before most recently returning to Brazil for his second spell with Sao Paulo.
In little more than a year with Sao Paulo, he had nine goals and two assists in 33 appearances. He has 27 caps with the Brazilian national team.
Orlando City starting forward Daryl Dike is currently on loan with English club Barnsley. Oscar Pareja could also call on Matheus Aias, Tesho Akindele or Alexander Alvarado at the moment.
