Consortium Involving Former Chelsea and AC Milan Star Pato Completes Northampton Takeover

Northampton Town have a new owner after a consortium including former AC Milan, Chelsea and Brazil forward Alexandre Pato completed its takeover of the League Two club.

Sports Alpha Capital (SAC) will hold 70% of Northampton Town Ventures Limited, the company that owns most of the Cobblers. Current owners David Bower, Nigel Le Quesne and Kelvin Thomas will keep the other 30%. The Independent Football Regulator and the English Football League signed off on the deal earlier this month. The club say it leaves them debt-free, after they reported a pre-tax loss of just under £3m in April 2026.

Thomas is stepping down as chairman after more than ten years in the job, though he will stay on as a shareholder and director, as will Bower and Le Quesne. He led the takeover of the club in 2015, when it faced a winding-up petition, and called it "an enormous privilege" to lead the club.

SAC's Joao Xavier and Tim Chamberlain will take over as co-chairmen, and Pato will join the board as a director. Chief executive James Whiting and supporters' representative Tom Cliffe stay on the board. Jim Rosenthal and Mike Wailing will step down from it and become associate directors.

In a joint statement, Xavier and Chamberlain said they were "extremely proud to become custodians of a club with such a rich history, passionate supporter base and important place within its community". They said they have big plans, but that these must go hand in hand with keeping the club sustainable.

"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," the statement said. "We want the club to continue to be a source of pride within its community and will work closely with the Community Trust, supporters, staff, partners and local stakeholders to ensure that relationship continues to grow."

They also promised to spend more time in the town. "We are looking forward to spending much more time in Northampton, listening to supporters and working together to help the club realise its potential both on and off the pitch," the statement said. "This is the beginning of a long-term commitment from Sports Alpha Capital to Northampton Town Football Club, and we are incredibly excited about the journey ahead." More details of their plans will come later.

SAC lists Pato as one of its investors, alongside London firm Gemcorp Capital. Pato and the other investors watched Northampton's 1-0 win over Newport County on September 5. The 37-year-old retired as a player last year. He is best known for his five and a half years at AC Milan, where he scored 63 goals in 150 games and won the Serie A title in 2010-11.

SAC had earlier held talks about buying Colchester United but pulled out after the first discussions.

On the pitch, Northampton were relegated last season after finishing bottom of League One. They named Chris Hogg as manager in May and signed 13 players in the summer, including striker Matty Warhurst from Manchester City.