Blues on the brink of Brazilian breakthrough
The paperwork is moving and the noises from both sides suggest this one is done in all but name. City have agreed a deal with Palmeiras for winger Allan, with Fabrizio Romano's familiar “here we go” attached to what has become a straightforward pursuit.
The fee is €40m (£34m) plus add-ons for the 22-year-old, who has emerged as the club's preferred addition on the wing during the closing stages of the window. Documents are now being exchanged between the two clubs, which is usually the point where these things stop being speculation and start being an announcement waiting to happen.
City had already sorted personal terms with Allan and opened negotiations with Palmeiras, so this agreement represents the decisive breakthrough rather than the start of something. The Guardian have reported the £34m figure, and Reuters have confirmed an agreement for the Palmeiras player, so there is plenty of corroboration beyond the usual transfer chatter.
Allan came through the Palmeiras academy and has 96 senior appearances to his name, contributing nine goals and 12 assists according to Reuters. He is primarily used from the right but can operate more centrally, and he gives Maresca another left-footed option with the ability to carry the ball and attack defenders one-on-one.
The move comes as City reshape their attacking options following Savinho's expected departure to Tottenham, and Allan would give Maresca a different kind of threat on the flank. The transfer is not yet officially complete, but with the agreement in place, the remaining formalities look like a formality.