Consortium including former Brazil forward Pato completes Northampton Town takeover
A consortium that includes former AC Milan, Chelsea and Brazil forward Alexandre Pato completed the takeover of Northampton Town on 30 September 2026, the club said. The proposed deal by Sports Alpha Capital (SAC) had been approved earlier this month by the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) and the English Football League (EFL).
SAC will acquire a 70% shareholding in Northampton Town Ventures Limited (NTVL), the company that holds the majority of shares in the League Two club, while existing owners David Bower, Nigel Le Quesne and Kelvin Thomas will retain a combined 30% stake. Northampton confirmed the takeover would leave the club debt-free after announcing a pre-tax loss of just under £3m in April 2026. Kelvin Thomas will step down as chairman after more than a decade in the role but will remain a shareholder and director; Thomas, who headed the takeover of the Cobblers when they faced a winding-up petition in 2015, said it had been "an enormous privilege" to lead the club.
Joao Xavier and Tim Chamberlain of SAC will assume roles as co-chairmen and Alexandre Pato is set to join the board as a director, the club added. Chief executive officer James Whiting and supporters' representative Tom Cliffe will remain on the board, while Jim Rosenthal and Mike Wailing will leave the board to become associate directors. Pato was named by SAC as one of its external investors alongside Gemcorp Capital, a London-based independent investment management firm.
Xavier and Chamberlain issued a joint statement on the takeover, saying they were "extremely proud to become custodians of a club with such a rich history, passionate supporter base and important place within its community". The statement added: "We have ambitious plans for Northampton Town, but ambition must go hand in hand with sustainability and an understanding of what the club means to the people of Northampton and Northamptonshire."
Pato and his fellow investors attended Northampton's 1-0 win over Newport County on 5 September, the club noted. The 37-year-old retired from playing last year and is described in the announcement as best known for his five-and-a-half-year spell at AC Milan where he scored 63 goals in 150 matches and won the Serie A title in 2010-11.
The takeover follows a difficult season for the club: Northampton were relegated to the fourth tier after finishing bottom of the League One table last season and appointed Chris Hogg as manager in May. During the summer transfer window the club brought in 13 players, including striker Matty Warhurst from Manchester City, the statement added; Sports Alpha Capital had previously been in discussions about taking over Colchester United earlier this year but pulled out after initial talks.
Xavier and Chamberlain said further details of their vision for the club would follow, signalling that the new ownership group plans to publish more information about its proposals for Northampton Town in due course.
