Arsenal Transfer News: Alexandre Pato Inquiry Made by Arsene Wenger, Says Edu

Corinthians director of football and former Arsenal midfielder Edu Gaspar has revealed he has spoken with Gunners boss Arsene Wenger about the transfer of Alexandre Pato.

The former AC Milan man has been widely linked with a move away from Corinthians in January—he is currently on loan at Sao Paulo—as they want to cash in on the forward, per ESPN FC.

Edu—who played under Wenger between 2001 and 2005—has recently been in Europe and admitted a number of clubs expressed interest in Pato, including Arsenal, per Jack Lang in the Mirror:

"I wasn’t there to tout him around but if people ask about him, I’m going to answer. I talked and they asked questions—not just about him, but about a few of our players. They know them well. I had lunch with Arsene Wenger and he asked about [Pato] and about others."

Pato's immense early potential was never fully realised in Milan, as his development was curtailed by a string of injuries.

His €15 million (£10.5 million) return to Brazil to join Corinthians in 2013 was largely unsuccessful, and he was eventually loaned out to Sao Paulo in February 2014 until the end of 2015.

Pato, 26, has performed well for Tricolor, especially recently, as can be seen in the video below:

He has netted 10 goals and provided five assists in the current Brasileiro campaign, per WhoScored.com.

The Brazil international's return to scoring ways has prompted numerous rumours of him moving back to Europe, and Edu also reportedly visited Chelsea and Tottenham during his fact-finding mission, per Lang.

Indeed, there are not many clubs with whom Pato has not been linked, per the Mirror's John Cross:

His departure from Corinthians in January seems inevitable, but a move to Arsenal would not necessarily be the best move for the club or the player.

The Gunners are well stocked in the attacking line, with the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott, and should be looking to bring in a defensive midfielder if they are to enter the transfer market in the new year.

Pato would surely serve only as back-up should he move to the Emirates, and he will likely be eager to find a club where he can play regularly in the first team.