Alexandre Pato rejoins Sao Paulo

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato has returned to his former club Sao Paulo less than two weeks after parting ways with China's Tianjin Tianhai.

The 29-year-old will be tied to the six-time Brazilian Serie A champions for the next four seasons and will reportedly earn 700,000 Brazilian reais (around 175,000 US dollars) a month.

"The striker's history with the Tricolor will gain a new chapter ..., Pato is back at the club with a contract until 2022," read a statement on Sao Paulo's official website on Wednesday.

Pato was a free agent, having bought himself out of his Tianjin Tianhai contract this month after two seasons with the Chinese Super League club.

Capped 27 times for Brazil's national team, Pato was once considered among the most promising strikers in the game, scoring 57 goals in his first 125 matches for AC Milan from 2008 to 2011.

But he has since been struck down by injuries and inconsistent form, managing only moderate success during subsequent spells at Corinthians, Sao Paulo, Chelsea, Villarreal and Tianjin Tianhai.

Pato spent two seasons on loan at Sao Paulo in 2014 and 2015, scoring 38 times and providing 16 assists in 101 matches across all competitions.