Northampton Town reach agreement with consortium including Alexandre Pato

Northampton Town have confirmed they have reached agreement with a consortium that includes former Brazil forward Alexandre Pato over a proposed shareholding acquisition in the League Two club, the club said on 18 September 2026. The announcement named Sports Alpha Capital (SAC) among the investors involved.

SAC’s proposed deal with Northampton received approval from the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) and the English Football League (EFL) earlier this month, the club statement said. "Football club transactions always have many moving parts and often take a little longer than you would hope, but we are thrilled to be moving forward," said Northampton chairman Kelvin Thomas. Joao Xavier, founding partner at Sports Alpha Capital, added: "We are very happy to have reached formal agreements. "Obviously obtaining IFR and EFL approvals was a big step, but this is also a very important milestone, and we look forward to closing next week."

Sports Alpha Capital had been in talks about taking over Colchester United earlier this year but pulled out after initial discussions, the club noted. SAC has named Alexandre Pato as one of its external investors and listed Gemcorp Capital, a London-based independent investment management firm, among those involved; the size of SAC’s proposed shareholding in Northampton has not been disclosed.

Pato, 37, retired from playing last year and is described in the club release as a former AC Milan, Chelsea and Brazil forward. The statement added he is best known for a five-and-a-half-year spell at AC Milan in which he scored 63 goals in 150 matches and won the Serie A title in the 2010-11 season.

The prospective investment comes after a difficult period for the Cobblers, who suffered relegation to the fourth tier last season after finishing bottom of League One. Northampton are currently 17th in League Two and secured their first win of the campaign when they beat Newport at home on 5 September.

Financial and footballing changes at the club were also outlined in the statement: in April Northampton reported a pre-tax loss just short of £3m, and Thomas has previously said the proposed investment would make the club debt-free. The club appointed Chris Hogg as manager in May and signed 13 players during the summer transfer window, including striker Matty Warhurst from Manchester City.

The club said it expected to be "in a position to confirm completion of the process" next week.