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Ex-Argentina forward Pato’s consortium to take over Northampton
A consortium including former Brazil and AC Milan forward Alexandre Pato is set to buy a majority stake in League Two side Northampton Town, BBC Sport understands. The takeover marks a significant moment for the Cobblers, who were relegated to the fourth tier last season after finishing bottom of League One, and follows chairman Kelvin Thomas confirming last month that investment from a "well-funded" group had been "pretty much agreed".
The consortium, Sports Alpha Capital, previously held initial talks over a takeover of Colchester United earlier this year before pulling out of that deal. Pato, 36, who retired from playing last year, is understood to be involved but not fronting the group; he scored 63 goals in 150 games during a five-and-a-half-year spell at AC Milan and also had a loan stint at Chelsea in 2016. Northampton posted a pre-tax loss of just under £3m in April, with the proposed investment expected to make the club debt-free, while new manager Chris Hogg has already signed seven players this transfer window.
In short
- Alexandre Pato's consortium set to take majority stake in Northampton Town
- Deal follows chairman's confirmation of "well-funded" investment last month
- Cobblers were relegated to League Two, posted near-£3m loss in April
Explained simply
Northampton Town, known as the Cobblers, are a professional football club based in Northampton. They play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football, after being relegated from League One last season.
The club is led by chairman Kelvin Thomas, and Chris Hogg is its manager. Alexandre Pato is a former Brazilian forward who played for AC Milan and had a loan spell at Chelsea; he retired from playing in 2025 and is involved in the investment group Sports Alpha Capital.
The group has previously held talks about buying another English club, Colchester United. Investment matters to Northampton because the club reported a pre-tax loss of nearly £3m, and new owners could affect its finances and plans for the future.