Soccer: Pato for Arsenal, new Messi for United

As the January transfer window looms on the horizon, what are the latest rumors of the upcoming moves? We take a look at the next round as the 2013-2014 season nears the halfway point. At center stage for the hottest deals  is the English Premiership, where the temperature among rivals desperate to sign the world's soccer aces reaches boiling point.

The city of Manchester is once again a hub of activity. Manchester City are eyeing up the Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar (34), who has been replaced as first-choice keeper at Queen's Park Rangers (Championship) and Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos (27). Manchester City is also interested in Blaise Matuidi (26), the Paris Saint-Germain and France midfield player, whose contract runs out at the end of the season, and here, City faces competition from Chelsea.

José Mourinho's Blues are also looking at Radamel Falcao (27), Monaco and Colombia striker.

Manchester United is said to be interested in the new Lionel Messi, the 17-year-old wonderboy from Dundee United, Scotland, attacking midfield player Ryan Gauld, whose tally this season in the Scottish Premiership is five goals in 14 games. United is also hot on the trail of Alessio Cerci (26), Torino and Italy winger and her Manchester United faces strong competition from Arsène Wenger's Arsenal, which has allegedly struck a deal for the Brazilian striker Pato, formerly of AC Milan and now playing at Corinthians.

Pato (24), a nickname after his place of birth, Pato Branco, real name Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva, started his professional career at Internacional, scoring six times in ten games (2006-2007), when he transferred to AC Milan (2007-2013), where his tally was 51 goals in 117 appearances. This season, back in Brazil at Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, he has scored 9 goals in 27 games.

For Brazil, he scored 8 goals in 12 games for the Under-20 side, three goals in 9 games for Brazil Under-23s and ten goals in 27 games with the senior team, since 2008.

Photo: Alexandre Pato

Aleksei Federov

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