Manchester City have strengthened their attacking options by completing the signing of Brazilian winger Allan Elias from Palmeiras in a deal worth £32m, with a further £2m potentially due in add-ons. The 22-year-old has put pen to paper on a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium, becoming the latest arrival in what has been a lavish summer of spending for the FA Cup holders.
Allan, who is yet to earn a senior cap for Brazil, made 96 appearances for Palmeiras before sealing his move to the Premier League. He arrives as one of the players brought in to replace Savinho and Omar Marmoush, both of whom departed for Tottenham Hotspur in deals that could be worth up to £145m combined to City. The club may not stop there, with reports suggesting they are eyeing a second winger before the transfer window closes.
Speaking after his move was finalised, Allan described the switch to City as a life-changing moment. "This is a surreal moment for me. Manchester City, with everything they have won over the past 15 years, are one of the most attractive clubs in the world for players. To be able to sit here today and say I have joined them is the proudest moment of my life," he said.
The winger also paid tribute to his former club while explaining his reasoning for the switch. "I love Palmeiras and always will – but the decision to come to City was an easy one. I want to be the best footballer I can be and the conversations I've had with the people at City so far has convinced me there isn't a better place for me to fulfil my ambitions," Allan added. "My intention is to help City continue winning trophies. If I can do that, it would be a dream come true."
Allan will be reunited with former Palmeiras teammate Vitor Reis, who is already at the Etihad and reportedly encouraged the winger to make the move when City's interest became known.
City's director of football, Hugo Viana, was full of praise for the new signing, highlighting his character and potential impact on the squad. "Allan is a really exciting player, and we think he will be a big addition to the squad. He has shown throughout his short career so far that he will fight to be the best he can be. Coming to Manchester and taking on the challenge of being a City player is another example of that," Viana said. "We watched his progress in Brazil and saw a player that thrives in the big moments and works hard for the team with a superb attitude. Everyone is very happy that he has joined us and we look forward to seeing him grow with City."
The deal takes City's summer outlay past £250m, a figure that continues to rise as the club looks to reshape its attacking department following the departures of Savinho and Marmoush. Beyond the pursuit of a potential second winger, City are said to be monitoring Liverpool's Cody Gakpo and Everton's Iliman Ndiaye, while a decision looms over whether to make a move for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez before the transfer window shuts.
With the business already conducted this summer, and more potentially still to come, City appear determined to reinforce their squad as they aim to build on last season's FA Cup success and mount fresh challenges on multiple fronts next season.
Based on reporting from Independent (Football).