Reports are swirling that City are on the verge of signing Allan from Palmeiras. Apparently, City have reached personal terms and are negotiating with the club on transfer details.
So just who is this Allan?
Let’s get one thing straight: This Allan is not Allan Marques Loureiro, who is also called Allan. He’s a 35-year-old defensive midfielder who plays for Botafogo.
The Allan in City’s crosshairs is Pablo Allan Andrade Elias, a 22-year-old winger/attacking midfielder. He was born in Florianopolis, a large city on Brazil’s southern coast.
Allan’s story so far is one of heartbreak, redemption and hope. It’s certain to put a lump in the throat of any football fan.
Unspeakable loss and a big move
According to Brazilian outlet nsc total, he began playing futsal around age seven. Soon, however, what seemed a normal childhood in the Vila Aparecida section of Floranopolis’ Coqueiros neighbourhood would turn tragic. Around this time, his family’s home burned to the ground, and they lost most of what they owned.
In 2018, he joined the youth academy of local club Figueirense. One year later, he moved to Palmeiras’ academy in Sao Paulo, leaving home alone as a young teenager for the 300-mile journey.
Almost unbelievably, Allan would suffer another devastating loss soon after. On one of the darkest days in South American football history, 8th February 2019, 10 Flamengo academy players were killed in a fire in their dormitory. Among them was Allan’s friend and former Figueirense teammate, Vitor Isaias.
The heartbroken Allan asked his parents to move from Florianopolis to Sao Paulo to support him. They reportedly threw their clothing, a television and a microwave in their car and joined their son in their new city.
But yet another catastrophe would befall the family. A few years later, Allan’s sister Leticia passed away at age 20 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
A resilient heart and a pro debut
Clearly, Allan has not let these calamities drag him down into despair.
He pushed through Palmeiras’ academy, the same system that produced Real Madrid’s Endrick and Chelsea’s Estevao. In 154 games at the U17 and U20 levels, he netted 57 goals. In 2023, his team won the Sao Paulo Junior Cup.
He made his debut in Brazil’s top flight in April 2025 and scored his first goal on 1st June. Six days later, he signed a contract extension with Palmeiras through 2029.
He’s made 48 appearances with the first team and has become a regular starter. In 20 matches so far in 2026, playing mainly on the right wing, he has six goal involvements and has earned an overall 7.34 rating from SofaScore.
So whether he ends up wearing sky blue or not, Allan and his story make him the kind of footballer that supporters on the terraces should be singing about for many years to come.
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