Chelsea step up talks with Brazilian striker ahead of £10m move to be completed this week

CHELSEA have stepped up talks with Corinthians striker Alexandre Pato, and a £10 million deal could be completed this week.

 

Alexandre Pato looks set to complete a £10million move to Chelsea this month

 

The Stamford Bridge club have moved for the Brazilian striker because of fitness doubts over key front man Diego Costa and deputy Loic Remy.

With current third choice Radamel Falcao sidelined with a long term thigh problem, the club have become concerned about a lack of striking cover.

Pato, now 26, has been a long term target of the club for some years, and with Corinthians desperate to sell, has been offered to several clubs, including Liverpool and Tottenham, but Chelsea have shown the most interest.

The former AC Milan striker, who netted 26 goals for Sao Paolo last season after he moved on loan after a fallout with Corinthians, has though had fitness problems, and was criticised by fans at Corinthians for his attitude.

 

Chelsea did have fears that Costa, who has netted five goals in his last five games in a crucial return to form, might have picked up a shin fracture in Saturday's 3-3 draw with Everton. Scans showed there was only deep bruising - but he still faces a battle to be fit for Sunday's derby against Arsenal at the Emirates.

A major factor for Chelsea on considering Pato during this transfer window is simply that the Brazilian is available, and is not cup-tied for the Champions League, in which they face Paris St Germain next month.

Interim manager Guus Hiddink though wants three strikers to choose from - and the potential arrival of Pato could see Patrick Bamford, whose loan spell at Crystal Palace was cut short at the New Year, move across London on loan again to QPR.

Chelsea's Belgian star Eden Hazard, sideline for the last two weeks with a groin injury, is also aiming to be fit for the trip to the Emirates on Sunday.

Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma believes that the club's wretched start to the season was not because players did not want to play for previous manager Jose Mourinho - but was "psychological."

 

The French centre back said: "I think that it was psychological, I cannot give you the reasons why. "There are always seasons like this and we have to lift our head up again, things will get better. It is difficult, but we believe in ourselves. We do not have a choice - we have to lift our heads up again.

"We have started 2016 well as we have not lost. We are getting there slowly but surely, we need to accelerate it a little." "I would not say we rejected the manager's ideas.

"Things were going very well with him at the heart of dressing room and things are going very well with Guus Hiddink. It was not that, it was the results. We are responsible for the results - we the players.

"We are on the pitch and we played badly. We did not do the things that we should have done. We are all partially responsible and that goes the same with Mourinho or Hiddink."

Meanwhile Everton are interested in taking young Chelsea forward Bertrand Traore on loan until the end of the season.