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Manchester City are reportedly close to signing 22-year-old Brazilian winger Allan from Palmeiras for £34 million. Here, we look at what might have caught their eye. Palmeiras looked doomed. A 3-0 defeat away to LDU Quito in the first leg of their Copa Libertadores semi-final last October had seemingly destroyed any hope of reaching the final. A massive turnaround would be required in the return leg. As it happened, such a comeback wasn’t beyond them, and Palmeiras owed much to their livewire right-winger, Allan. He’d been largely unheralded on his journey through the club’s academy and into the first-team, but Palmeiras’ 4-0 second-leg win proved to be something of a watershed moment for Allan. The Ecuadorian side had no answer to him. His positivity, dynamism and twinkle toes made him a real nuisance, as he’d jink one way and then quickly dart the other to leave defenders in knots. It was one of those days where practically everything went right for him. LDU struggled to get a hold on him right from the early stages, and that came to a head as early as the 19th minute when he cut inside his marker and saw a teasing cross glanced in by Ramón Sosa. He continued in that vein for the rest of the first half and into the second, with his carrying and dribbling abilities helping him terrorise the LDU backline. Allan then inspired the decisive goal 22 minutes from time. He spun out from the corner, slipping past one defender, before making his way into the box; he then beat another, who subsequently hauled the winger down. A penalty was given, it was scored, and Palmeiras claimed the 4-0 win they needed to overturn the first-leg deficit. It brought Allan’s swift and almost surprising rise into focus. Then 21 years old, he was one of the lowest-paid members of the first-team squad and had been completely overshadowed in the youth ranks by the likes of Estêvão and Endrick. Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira even alluded to his situation after the LDU win, saying “Allan practically didn’t play in the Under-20s”. But the coach had previously told the club’s sporting director, Anderson Barros, that Allan “can’t leave Palmeiras” despite his struggles in the Under-20s. Ferreira appreciated his character and spotted potential in his “incredible unpredictability and verticality”; this was a player he knew could be an asset. “We’ve sold a lot of players, we don’t need to sell any more,” Ferreira said with a chuckle. Well, it might be a little later into his career for a big move than either Estêvão or Endrick, but his persistence, attitude and development have paid off, with Manchester City seemingly identifying him as the player they want to replace Savinho with following his move to Tottenham. In some respects, City fans won’t be particularly surprised by the type of player they’re signing. Allan is a left-footed right-winger who likes to run with the ball and beat his man. In the Brasileiro this year, he’s attempted 4.98 dribbles per 90, putting him 10th of all players (600+ mins) – and it’s worth saying that his 1,553 minutes played in that time is considerably more than all but one of the nine above him, notable because it shows he’s maintained a certain level consistently. He boasts a decent success rate with his dribble attempts, too, completing 55.8% this season, putting him 12th out of the 69 players to tally at least 30 dribbles. Once he engages defenders, he can be difficult to stop. Further evidence of this is the fact he’s tallied 16 multi take-ons (instances of beating more than one opponent in a single run) this season, putting him four clear of anyone else. And as for his more general ball carrying, Allan ranks eighth for progressive carries of at least 10 metres in length (72). He takes a lot of touches when dribbling, keeping the ball under close control and this undoubtedly helps him in those close-quarter situations. Clearly, Allan’s comfortable taking the game by the scruff of the neck, whether that involves engaging opponents or turning defence into attack via long ball carries. It’s worth acknowledging, however, that his output in the final third isn’t hugely eye-catching when it comes to goalscoring or chance creation. Allan’s 1.27 open-play chances created per 90 puts him outside the top 20 in the Brasileiro this season, while his 12 goal involvements since the start of the 2025 campaign has been bettered by four players at Palmeiras alone. Similarly, his 0.21 combined expected goals (excluding penalties) and expected assists per 90 since the start of 2025 puts him 10th among Palmeiras players to play at least 500 minutes. There’s clearly considerable room for improvement with respect to his productivity in attack, then. However, the part of his game that may have helped tip the scales in Allan’s favour with respect to attracting interest from a big Premier League team is arguably what he offers out of possession. He’s been used in a variety of roles for Palmeiras. Most of those have been on the right flank – but even when he’s deployed high up the pitch, Allan’s earned praise for his ability to be a presence along the whole flank. “I just think these teams want a player like Allan because he does what 90% of the wingers here can’t, which is to attack and defend all along the flank,” Ferreira told reporters after the recent win over Vasco da Gama. “When you find a player who is capable of playing anywhere on the wing, playing right-back like he did against Inter Miami [in the 2025 Club World Cup], capable of playing [wing-back] in a back three, capable of cutting inside or switching the play; everyone wants those kinds of players. But you also need to teach them, develop them.” Outside of the final third, Allan’s 57 possession recoveries this term put him ninth out of nominal forwards and wingers, several of whom play for more defensive sides than Palmeiras. Not unrelated to that, Allan’s 1.7 tackle attempts per 90 put him 13th in the same group. Again, several of the players above him represent clubs who’ve averaged less of the ball than Palmeiras, whose average share is 51.3% this term. Allan’s willingness to operate from deeper positions and his good track record of recovering possession in those areas combined with an effectiveness carrying the ball suggests a good fit for a transition-based side. While City are more typically renowned for possession dominance, Pep Guardiola’s departure in the summer might in the long run lead to a bit of a stylistic change, and it could be that targeting Allan plays into that. Either way, Allan clearly still has plenty of room for growth and will be expected to improve his attacking output in the long term – playing alongside better players may automatically contribute to this. But crucially there’s more to Allan than what he does in the final third, and his attitude, work rate and versatility ought to stand him in good stead. Being a success at Manchester City is a completely different challenge to thriving within your comfort zone at the club whose academy you came through. He’ll need patience, but the 22-year-old has plenty going for him, and opportunities should be forthcoming after the exits of Savinho and Omar Marmoush. Enjoy this? Add Opta Analyst as a preferred source by clicking here. Subscribe to our football newsletter to receive exclusive weekly content. You should also follow our social accounts over on X, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.