The ugly duckling story of Alexandre Pato, Chelsea's latest transfer target

This is the story of a Brazilian football star looking for redemption.

But before we get started, here are some true facts about ducks:

From the bird family Anatidae, ducks are an omnivorous bird with waterproof feathers and specialized bills designed to scavenge in the mud. Male ducks have eclipse plumage and corkscrew-shaped genitalia.

Alexandre Pato has none of those things. What he does have is a roller-coaster football story, an eye for goal, and a nickname that means "duck" in Portuguese. He also has the attention of Premier League outfit Chelsea, a team also looking for redemption in what has been a torrid 2015-16 season.

Pato was once the future of Brazil.

Pato was Neymar before Neymar was Neymar. He dazzled on the field with his impressive movement, tricky feet, and penchant for finding the back of the net. His trademark heart-shaped hand celebration was adored by the Selecao faithful.

Imagine, for a moment, the story of a boy who everyone loved; a boy dreaming of making it big, and living that very dream with a blockbuster move to Serie A. When Pato was just 17, he was purchased out of Internacional by AC Milan. He was an instant success.

Pato scored in his Milan debut in a 5-2 win over Napoli. He scored regularly. He even scored this incredible goal:

That's Pato, single-handedly ripping apart the mighty Barcelona in the Champions League.

Yikes.

That's the kind of player we're talking about here. Pato, at his best, was unstoppable. He scored 63 goals for Milan in six seasons, making 150 appearances in all competitions.

He was the star attraction of a team coming off a Champions League victory in 2007. Pato and Kaka combined masterfully in 2008. Pato even started dating Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's daughter, Barbara.

Pato-mania spread through Brazil. He helped his country to a bronze medal in the 2008 summer Olympics. One year later, he won the 2009 Confederations Cup. He missed the 2010 World Cup, though, as Dunga preferred Luis Fabiano at the time. It was not a popular decision.

He was instrumental in Milan's procurement of the 2011 Scudetto.

But, like any tale of a rising star, Pato eventually struggled, mainly with injuries, sometimes with form. Never with attitude, though.

Here is another true fact about ducks: They fly south for the winter, and the cold had crept into Pato's career. So, the duck flew back to South America.

He fell out of favour in Milan. Brazil lost the 2011 Copa America and he was dropped from the national team. He still scored goals, but in January of 2013, he was sold, inexplicably, to Brazilian club Corinthians for a record €15 million.

That was a pretty big mistake on the Brazilian side's part. Here's why:

In the above video, Pato misses a penalty for Corinthians, and their opponents, Gremio, celebrate wildly. It was a pretty awful penalty. Pato attempts an audacious chip on Dida (Dida is 42 years old and he's still playing football - what a legend), who saved the penalty with ease. Pato didn't get enough power on his shot. That miss knocked Corinthians out of the Copa do Brasil.

Not fun.

Pato became public enemy number one after that incident, but, to be fair, he was already disliked by the Corinthians supporters. They saw him as a waste of money. But Pato received the backing of his coach, "Tite," and so, he stayed.

Then, Mano Menezes (former Brazil national team manager) took over and Pato was loaned to Sao Paulo. Menezes had no room for an ugly duckling. But Sao Paulo had a midfielder named Jadson who Menezes did like, so the two teams swapped players on loan deals.

The joke was on Menezes; with Sao Paulo, Pato found his feet once more. He scored 12 goals in 39 games in 2014, then doubled that tally with 26 goals in 56 games in 2015. Those heart-shaped hands adorned arenas across the country, and for a player who had once been written off, Pato had found his redemption.

Before we go any further, let's jump over to Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea striker Diego Costa roams the green, grassy fields.

Diego Costa is a bulldog.

He's disliked. He kicks and punches and elbows opposition players at a whim. To put it simply, Costa is the kind of player you love to hate, and hate you do.

The Blues are enduring a rough year. They're looking for new players. And, in recent days, the club has been linked with the signature of one 26-year-old Brazilian striker.

His name is Alexandre Pato.

"Now I’m ready for a new challenge," Pato told reporters in London back in December. "I want to write a new story in Europe, to make a new history. I want to come to win the championship and play again in the Champions League. I have dreams again."

Pato is dreaming, now, of the Premier League.

But where?

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp adamantly dismissed talk of a move developing for Pato. Other teams have expressed some interest in the Brazilian.

None have been more hotly linked to his signature than Chelsea, though.

If reports in England are to be believed, Pato is set to complete a £10-million move to Stamford Bridge sometime in the next few weeks.

He has a few friends in Willian, Oscar, and Ramires, which would certainly help in the transition to the Premier League.

At Chelsea, he would be attempting to displace Diego Costa from the starting XI and proving to his doubters that he is still an elite striker, capable of performing at the highest level.

A duck versus a pit bull - who wins that fight?

This is a video of a duck and a pit bull fighting over a kiddie pool in a random backyard. Don't worry, neither get hurt in the exchange. It's just a lot of barking and quacking. The duck wins, though. He enjoys a drink, while the pit bull cowers behind him in the garden.

Chelsea needs a duck more than it needs a pit bull these days. The English Champions have turned ugly, closer now to relegation than to glory. Like Pato, Chelsea is looking for redemption.

Look ... Pato isn't an actual duck, nor is Diego Costa an actual pit bull. Nor is there any guarantee a move will develop at all. But one thing is clear:

Alexandre Pato is back; fear the mighty duck.