Pato, 31, moves to the Exploria Stadium as a free agent. A source told ESPN's Jeff Carlisle on Friday that that Pato will not be a Designated Player. His salary will be brought down with General Allocation Money and includes an option for an additional year.
Pato's lengthy club career includes stints at AC Milan, Chelsea and Villarreal, as well several Brazilian teams and Chinese club Tianjin Tianhai. He was most recently on the books of Sao Paulo, his second stint with the club, and one where he scored nine goals in 35 league and cup appearances. But he has been without a team since he and Sao Paulo reached an agreement in August of 2020 to terminate his contract.
His most successful spell at club level came with AC Milan, where he played from 2007-13. In that time he scored 63 goals in 140 league and cup appearances, and helped the side to a Serie A title in 2010-11 and the Supercoppa Italiana in 2011.
Pato is an ex-Brazil international, scoring 10 goals in 27 appearances, the last of which came in 2013.
15.38 GMT: Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen have joined the race for Arsenal youngster Folarin Balogun, the Daily Mirror reports.
England youth international Balogun is out of contract at the end of the season. Leverkusen are the latest club to register an interest in the 19-year-old, along with their Bundesliga rivals Stuttgart and French club Rennes.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told a news conference on Friday that he remains "positive" that Balogun, who was born in New York City but moved to the UK as a child, will sign a new deal to remain with the Gunners.
"I'm still very positive that Flo is going to stay with us and it's what we're trying to do as a club, and it's what I'm trying to do as a manager," he said. "As far as I know from last week, the player wants to be here, so I'm positive. I think he's made some big progress in a few months."
14.43 GMT: Barcelona have upped the surveillance of their flagship academy in the United States in a bid to find the next U.S. star to break into their first team, sources have told ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.
Matthew Hoppe became the latest graduate from Barca's Residency Academy in Arizona to make his mark in the professional game when he scored a Bundesliga hat trick in January. The Californian, 19, signed his first professional deal with Schalke this month.
He's not the only player from the academy, which launched in 2017, to step into the professional game. Julian Araujo (LA Galaxy), who has already been capped by the United States, is another player to come through the ranks, along with Caden Clark (New York Red Bulls), Bryce Duke (Los Angeles FC) and Amadeo Chapru Tate (Leganes).
Given the rate at which players are progressing, Barca have decided to work closer with the academy in the hope of finding the next Sergino Dest or Christian Pulisic. USMNT's Dest signed for Barca for €21m plus €5m in potential add-ons last summer while international teammate Pulisic has impressed in the Premier League after joining Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund.
In partnership with Grande Sports World, Barcelona have also increased their investment in the Arizona school and want to ensure no one slips through the net.
Barca have 49 soccer schools around the world as part of their Academy project but the Arizona Residency's reputation is second only to La Masia and the club hope the relationship with Grande Sports World can further their development of talent in the U.S.
- Karlsen: Hoppe, the Bundesliga's next U.S. striking sensation
13.52 GMT: Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has taken aim at Gareth Bale over an Instagram post which appeared to indicate the winger was fit and available by insisting it was "totally wrong" and "contradicted reality."
Bale has started just two Premier League games since re-signing on loan from Real Madrid in September amid lingering fitness issues. Mourinho has used the 31-year-old sparingly when he has been available and Bale seemed to suggest he was ready to take part in Wednesday's thrilling 5-4 FA Cup loss at Everton (stream the replay on ESPN+ in the U.S.), by posting on Monday that he had enjoyed a "good session today" underneath a picture of him training.
However, speaking at a news conference on Friday ahead of Spurs' weekend trip to Manchester City, Mourinho said: "I hope the press conference is about the game and not about individuals but I have to admit his post created a need of being addressed because there was a contradiction between the post and reality.
"Since the beginning of the season, in relation to everything I try to be very private and keep everything indoors. But I felt that I need to address the situation, you know. Probably the post was not even his responsibility, I don't know.
"But the post was showing that training session was great so I'm ready but it was totally wrong. So when I was questioned I had to say the reality of the things which I repeat for the last time and I hope there are no more questions about it because the situation was exactly the way I told.
"He was not feeling good, he asked for a scan, the scan didn't show an injury but his feelings were still there and sports science people, medical, coaches can never go against feelings because the players feelings are more important than all of us.
"So he was not ready for the game and it was as simple as that. If he's ready for tomorrow's he's selected for tomorrow."
- Olley: Spurs-City rematch will show if Mourinho can win a trophy
13.07 GMT: United States youth international Justin Che has joined Bayern Munich on loan from FC Dallas, the clubs announced on Friday.
The 17-year-old defender was one of six Dallas players on trial at Bayern this month as part of a partnership agreement between the clubs and now joins on loan until the end of the 2020-21 season.
Che, who said he was "honored" to stay with Bayern says the loan is all part of a learning experience for him.
"My goal is to one day be a professional player at the highest level, playing in one of the highest leagues. So, I'm very excited for this opportunity," he said in a video posted on the FC Dallas Twitter account.
Bayern said Che will be part of the under-19 team but will also have training opportunities with the reserve squad, which plays in Germany's third division.
The deal was possible before the age of 18, the usual minimum age for international transfers, because Che is also a German citizen, Bayern said.
12.20 GMT: A "centre-back casting" is underway at Real Madrid, according to the front page of Diario AS on Saturday, with "four prominent names on the agenda" to compensate for the possible departure of Sergio Ramos.
David Alaba is the frontrunner, AS reports, representing "an unbeatable market opportunity" with his contract expiring at Bayern Munich, while Kalidou Koulibaly, Jules Kounde and Pau Torres are the other, pricier names on Madrid's shortlist.
Napoli defender Koulibaly's availability will depend on their qualification for the Champions League, the newspaper says, while Kounde has a €90m release clause at Sevilla and Torres is available for €50m at Villarreal.
Madrid are yet to make progress on contract extension talks with Ramos, and Marca reports that the subject wasn't even mentioned in a "calm and relaxed" phone call from president Florentino Perez to the club captain to check on his recovery after knee surgery last weekend.
11.27 GMT: Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that left-back Lucas Digne is set to sign a new contract in the coming days.
France international Digne is closing in on 100 appearances for Everton. The 27-year-old is still on the same contract he signed when he arrived from Barcelona in an £18m transfer in 2018.
Ancelotti told a news conference on Friday: "I'm not in there but I know that they agreed, then next week I think they are going to sign officially the new contract."
10.34 GMT: Manchester United will prioritise signing a new centre-back in the summer as manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to solve his team's defensive frailties, sources told ESPN's Rob Dawson.
United are the Premier League's top scorers with 49 but have conceded 30 in 23 games. Leeds United are the only team in the top half of the table to have conceded more, with 38.
Solskjaer is keen to bring in a partner for captain Harry Maguire, who cost £80m from Leicester in 2019, with Sevilla's Jules Kounde, Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings, Raphael Varane at Real Madrid and Braga's David Carmo the names on his shortlist.
Varane's future at Real Madrid is in question with the French defender out of contract in 2022. Sevilla's Kounde, 22, is rated as one of the best young defenders in Europe and was on Manchester City's shortlist before they signed Benfica's Ruben Dias. Liverpool were keen to sign Portugal youth international Carmo, 21, on deadline day but could not reach an agreement with his club, SC Braga.
- Insider Notebook: Varane on Man Utd's defensive shortlist
09.44 GMT: Diego Costa is in talks to join his boyhood club Palmeiras, according to Sky Sports.
Costa, 32, has been without a club since asking for his Atletico Madrid contract to be cancelled six months early "for personal reasons" in December.
The Brazilian giants -- who finished fourth this week in the FIFA Club World Cup -- have reportedly offered the striker a two-year deal worth €2.5m after tax.
Costa, who is currently at home in Brazil, had reportedly also received offers from Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia since leaving Atletico.
- What a miss! Palmeiras' Rony joins penalty kick hall of shame
09.00 GMT: Bayern Munich director Hasan Salihamidzic has confirmed that the German champions have agreed a deal to sign RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano.
The 22-year-old who was linked with Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United is set to remain in Germany when he leaves Leipzig in the summer.
Upamecano reportedly has a release clause worth €42.5 million ($51m), which Bayern has activated in principle.
"Dayot Upamecano will play for Bayern for the next five years," Salihamidzic told Bild. "We are very happy about it at FC Bayern.
"We had very good, intensive and professional discussions with Dayot and his advisor Volker Struth for many months. We knew that we had very strong competition."
PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd)
PSG stepping up efforts for Donnarumma
Following earlier reports that agent Mino Raiola wants his client Gianluigi Donnarumma to be the second-highest paid goalkeeper in the world behind David de Gea, Gazzetta dello Sport believes Paris Saint-Germain are stepping up efforts to sign him.
Indeed, PSG sporting director Leonardo knows Donnarumma well from his time at the San Siro, and he has long courted the Rossoneri goalkeeper.
Milan turned down an offer of €20m in 2019, but Leonardo is determined to land his man. Donnarumma is out of contract at the end of this season, which means he's allowed to negotiate with clubs outside of Italy now, which gives the Parisiens hope they can tempt him away from the Italian fashion capital.
Milan are said to be offering the stopper €7.5m a year in a new long-term contract, but Raiola is keen to secure nearer €10m on a shorter deal.
If that was the case, he would sit alongside Jan Oblak as the second-highest paid goalkeeper in world football.
Tap-ins
- AS Roma are looking to strengthen in the goalkeeping department, and Sport Mediaset reports they're considering Juan Musso from Udinese as a replacement for Pau Lopez, with Pierluigi Gollini of Atalanta their second choice. Roma play Udinese on Sunday, which gives Giallorossi boss Tiago Pinto the perfect chance to get a close look at his top target.
- AC Milan are looking to freshen up their right-hand side this summer and, as well as Florian Thauvin from Marseille, the Rossoneri are targeting Emerson Royal from Barcelona, says Calciomercato. Royal is currently on loan at Real Betis and playing well, and he is set to return to Camp Nou at the end of the season. It is not yet clear whether Ronald Koeman plans to keep him, but any move by Milan could depend on whether or not they sign Diogo Dalot from Manchester United.