Why Man City’s move for Allan Elias gets them a winger, midfielder and defender
In recent years, Palmeiras have made a healthy profit from the big-money exits of Endrick (Real Madrid), Estêvão (Chelsea), Vitor Reis (Manchester City) and Luiz Guilherme (Sporting CP). And now they can add winger Allan Elias to the list, as he is set to join Manchester City for €40 million (€37.5 million up front and €2.5 million in add-ons).
This deal, though, is a little different. All those previous transfers were players who were plucked away from Brazil at the age of 18; Allan is 22, making him something of a late developer by the typical standards of the Brazilian wonderkid. This is a slightly different type of deal, for a slightly different type of player — one whose appeal lies less in boundless-but-untested promise and more in his versatility.
A native of southern Brazil — his original club, Serie C side Figueirense, will collect 10% of the transfer fee — Allan has had to be mentally strong during his life to deal with the loss of his sister Leticia during the COVID-19 pandemic and his best friend Vitor Isaias was killed in a fire at Flamengo’s facilities in 2019.
That was the year Allan joined Palmeiras
That was the year Allan joined Palmeiras. But it took him until the early months of last year, when he was approaching his 21st birthday, to get a chance in the first team because of the strength of the squad.
The São Paulo club are one of the top two teams in South America — they are currently top of the Brazilian league, and are in the quarterfinals of both the domestic cup and Copa Libertadores — vying for supremacy with Flamengo of Rio de Janeiro. And, as a left-footed winger operating on the right flank, Allan found himself behind young prodigy Estêvão in the queue.
Allan’s big break, however, came before Estêvão left to join Chelsea for €34 million (plus €23 million in add-ons) in August 2025. He was a surprise starter in the knockout games of last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, a competition of huge importance to Palmeiras, as the Brazilian side made the quarterfinals, only to fall 2-1 to eventual winners Chelsea.
The reasoning of impressive Portuguese coach, Abel Ferreira,
The reasoning of impressive Portuguese coach, Abel Ferreira, was clear: the Club World Cup games were going to be tight matches; he wanted Estêvão to be free to roam and carry the attack, so Allan came in to nail down the right flank, to work up and down the pitch, balancing out the team in defense and keeping width in attack.
As Ferreira revealed after Sunday’s 4-1 win over Vasco da Gama, it is Allan’s versatility that has made him so attractive. “These teams want players like Allan because he does what 90% of the wingers here can’t do: attack and defend down the flank for the full 90 minutes,” he said. “That is why whoever wants to sign Allan will have to pay a lot.”
Allan has the tight dribbling skills to be expected from a Brazilian winger, but he also has so much more.
He’s been playing mainly as a right winger
“He’s been playing mainly as a right winger since he was promoted to the first team, but he was a No. 10 [behind the striker] most of the time in his youth career,” Rogério Ferreira, former head of the Palmeiras academy, told ESPN’s Sam Tighe. “He can easily be also a [box-to-box] No. 8, and work on both wings. He has the versatility to adapt to style and different teams and pace.
“He has one of the best first touches I’ve ever coached. Not when he receives the ball with time and space, but in chaos, surrounded by players. He is able to glue the ball to his foot and just keep going.
“Something tells me that in England he could become a [central] midfielder like Anderson was with Sir Alex Ferguson [at Manchester United]. Anderson was also a No. 10 in Brazil, strong like Allan and able to cope with the competitiveness of the league and be decisive inside.”
To illustrate his versatility, these are three highlights
To illustrate his versatility, these are three highlights from his relatively brief time in the Palmeiras first team.
In the semifinals of last year’s Copa Libertadores, Ferreira got his tactics wrong at Ecuador’s Liga de Quito — always a big mistake at altitude — and Palmeiras lost the first leg 3-0. They needed a herculean effort in the return game and Allan got them on their way, curling in a fine cross that set up the vital opening goal for Ramón Sosa. Allan was then instrumental in the goal that sealed the 4-0 win, undressing the defense with a superb dribble and winning a penalty that was converted by Raphael Veiga. This was Allan the winger.
Then, shortly before the World Cup, Palmeiras travelled to Rio for a clash of the titans against Flamengo in the Brazilian league. Flamengo had a man sent off early, after which Allan tipped the balance of midfield as he drifted across from the right wing and made up the extra man against their opponent’s central duo. He scored and played a key role in a morale boosting 3-0 win. This was Allan the midfielder.
Last week in the Libertadores, Palmeiras faced
And last week in the Libertadores, Palmeiras faced a tricky tie away to Cerro Porteno of Paraguay. Ferreira went with a back-three formation in defense, which meant that Allan had to fill the role of right wing back — an unusual task for a left-footed player. There was little glamour in his contribution to a 1-0 win, but plenty of effective work. This was Allan the defender.
Manchester City, then, have acquired a player capable of wearing a number of different hats. It will be intriguing to see which one best fits his new life in the Premier League.
Source: www.espn.com
