Brazilian starlet joins AC Milan

Aug 2, 2007 - 11:42 PM MILAN, Italy (Ticker) - AC Milan on Thursday announced a deal to sign Brazilian prodigy Alexandre Pato.

The 17-year-old, hailed by some pundits as the new Kaka, will move from Internacional, the FIFA Club World Champions.

A statement posted on the www.acmilan.com web site on Thursday evening confirmed a deal had been struck but did not disclose the terms.

"The highly talented Alexandre Pato will train with Milan and will be able to play friendly matches from September 3, 2007," the statement read. "From January 2008, he will be eligible for competitive games."

Reports suggest Pato will sign a five-year contract with the Rossoneri and Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that the deal is worth 20 million dollars to Internacional.

"Pato's first contract with Milan is for five years," the paper reports Pato's agent Gilmar Veloz as saying.

Pato is expected in Milan on Friday.