Pato claims United interest

Manchester United made a late attempt to sign Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato just before the January transfer window shut, according to the Sao Paulo player.

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Sao Paulo - Manchester United made a late attempt to sign Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato just before the January transfer window shut, according to the Sao Paulo player.

“Two hours before (the window closed) I had a very good offer from Manchester United,” Pato told Sportv on Thursday withouut giving any other details of the proposed deal.

The 25-year-old is on loan at Sao Paulo until the end of the year from rivals Corinthians who want to sell him.

He does not want to go back to the club where he spent an unhappy year after returning from AC Milan.

United needed forwards after offloading Robin van Persie, Javier Hernandez and Radamel Falcao in the window.

They signed Monaco's France international teenager Anthony Martial on the final day of the window for a fee put at 36 million pounds ($54.89 million) by British media.

Pato has scored nine times in 27 games for Sao Paulo in this season's Paulista state championship. – Reuters