Alexandre Pato transfer: Manchester United interested in signing Chelsea's January striker target

Manchester United are still interested in signing Corinthians striker Alexandre Pato. He spent the last season on loan at Sao Paulo and was the key player for them in their bid to make it to the Libertadores Cup.

According to the Daily Mail, the 20-time English champions are monitoring the Brazil international's situation, while their league rivals Chelsea are also in the race to secure his services. The player is attracting interest from the Premier League clubs and has earlier expressed his desire to make a switch to England in January.

Louis van Gaal has Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney as the first choice senior strikers in the squad. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager recalled Will Keane from loan and he is the third striker at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils could add a striker in the mid-season transfer window as they look to boost their attacking options. However, they will face competition from the English champions as they are also looking to land Pato.

ESPN Brasil claim the Blues are in pole position for the 26-year-old's signature as they are closing in on signing him. Guus Hiddink wants to bolster his attacking options after Radamel Falcao's disappointing loan spell. It should be seen whether United can beat Chelsea in signing Pato in January.

The Colombian international is on a season-long loan from AS Monaco and has not featured for the west London club since last October. Falcao is still on the sidelines with injury and the Blues manager confirmed he is unsure as to when the striker will return to action.

The situation leaves Hiddink with Diego Costa and Loic Remy as the only two strikers at Stamford Bridge. The Chelsea manager admitted that the club are looking at the possibility of signing a striker in the ongoing window.

"We are thinking," Hiddink is quoted by theGuardian as saying. "We have to have good competition, good double occupation in every position. When there is good shape and the double occupation is there, then we are OK but we must not go into this danger when something happens with one or two strikers. I don't deny that it would be a concern if Costa or Rémy were injured.

"I am thinking. And it's not good talk when you are thinking in this case because, why shall we go public? If, suppose something is going on, it can be harmful when you go public. Theoretically; that's what I'm saying at the moment."