CHELSEA are facing stiff competition from AC Milan for
Brazilian wonderkid Alexandre Pato.
Striker Pato will star in the Under-20 World Cup next month - even
though he is one of the youngest players in the competition at
17.
Some of Europe's top clubs will send their scouts to keep tabs on
the Internacional ace.
But Pato's agent Gilmar Veloz has revealed European Champions Milan
and the Blues are already leading the race for his signature.
Veloz said: "There are possibilities and official interest that is
not invented.
"The club know about everything. Internacional allowed a
representative from Milan - Leonardo (scout) - to look at
him.
"Chelsea also sent a person who was interested. But nothing is
certain.
"Internacional have the federative rights to the player and they
are taking care of it with us."
If Chelsea do strike a deal for the £18million-rated starlet, Veloz
believes they may have to wait to get their man.
Pato would struggle to get a work permit and that could be a
stumbling block in any move.
Veloz added: "Nothing will be done without the agreement of the
club so the Internacional fans can be calm because Pato has
contract with the club until 2009.
"But because he is not 18 yet, he cannot leave before January
2008."
Chelsea's sporting director Frank Arnesen has a history of bringing
Brazilian stars to Europe.
He took a 17-year-old Ronaldo to PSV Eindhoven for £4million in
1994.
And Arnesen hopes he can produce similar results with the capture
of Pato this summer.