Loan watch: Pato has one day left on loan, Chelsea fans stunned to learn he is still around

Alexandre Pato’s loan contract with Chelsea expires on June 30. His agent still thinks the Brazilian striker can sign a permanent transfer with Chelsea.

Chelsea watchers have had a frenetic 24 hours since reports surfaced that Belgian international Michy Batshuayi was preparing to sign for the club. The prospect of a dynamic, opportunistic striker alongside Diego Costa sent a current of excitement through Blues fans.

Two people who were less-than-thrilled at the prospect of Batshuayi’s arrival were Alexandre Pato and his agent, Gilmar Veloz. Veloz has, as of this writing, just over 24 hours to secure his client a permanent transfer to Chelsea. Otherwise, Pato returns to Corinthians in Brazil, where his future is in an equal amount of uncertainty.

Signing Pato was a classic case of throwing good money after bad. Chelsea brought the striker in on loan from Corinthians on a six-month loan to fill in for Radamel Falcao.

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Over the remainder of the season, Pato equalled Falcao’s offensive output of 1 goal. Pato won and scored a penalty kick against Aston Villa, contributing to Chelsea’s 4-0 win and Aston Villa’s 22nd defeat of the season.

When Chelsea signed Pato in late January, he had not played in a competitive game in two months. Then-interim manager Guus Hiddink immediately prescribed a “pre-season” physical fitness plan, an unusual move for a player arriving mid-season to a club desperately in need of help.

"Pato is in his preseason and we have made a training plan which he is doing now every day, training at least once and sometimes twice so he is getting his fitness, but he is not at full fitness yet…He will not be in for the upcoming games. He played his last game on Nov. 28 and then holiday so it is a kind of preseason for him. We can’t go over the top. – ESPN FC"

Veloz is taking a seemingly passive-aggressive approach to getting his client a long-term contract at Stamford Bridge. Rather than talking up Pato’s potential, his record prior to arriving at Chelsea or the value of other offers on the table, Veloz is focusing more on the uncertainty surrounding his nearly-forgotten charge.

"[H]ow is he going to sign for someone else when he has a contract at Chelsea until the 30th? I don’t know if they will do that; I’m not Roman Abramovich. – Mirror"

Veloz is playing a high-risk, low-reward media strategy against a team that has many larger items to address. Chelsea is wrapping up a swoop for Batshuayi, is shifting attention between N’Golo Kante and Radja Nainggolan, and is engaged in a complicated pursuit of Alvaro Morata.

Michael Emenalo and Roman Abramovich are not about to table those discussions to deal with a post-prime loan player with two Chelsea appearances to his credit.

Veloz’s nipping at the heels of Chelsea’s front office is unlikely to capture their attention, let alone move them to urgency in the remaining day of Pato’s loan spell. Then again, Veloz has little to lose and is gaining more publicity for his client than Pato has earned in months.

“If [Chelsea] don’t buy him, it will be up to Corinthians to decide what to do. Pato is on holiday, waiting to find out his future,” Veloz said.

Next: Chelsea sign more youngsters who probably won't play for senior team

Perhaps Pato will find more teams willing to sign him if his name stops appearing so close to the word “holiday” in the football media.