Allan at Manchester City: how all 15 Brazilians before him fared at the Etihad

The history of Brazilian-born players representing Manchester City, which began this century, is set to grow with the arrival of Allan, from Palmeiras, as the latest reinforcement for the English side's attack. The youngster will become the 16th Brazilian to wear the Citizens shirt.

Between club legends, difficult spells and forgotten names, several notable players have passed through the Etihad Stadium. The first arrived in 2007. Throughout the 2010s, with the consolidation of the Abu Dhabi ownership project, came the bigger investments in players who went on to leave their mark on the club.

There have also been names linked with Manchester City who never actually played for the club, such as Yan Couto, Douglas Luiz and Diego Rosa. Matheus Nunes, meanwhile, born in Rio de Janeiro and part of the current squad, is a naturalised Portuguese international and does not count towards this list.

Here is how the 15 Brazilians before Allan fared in Manchester City's blue shirt.

Elano

The former Santos midfielder arrived at the Citizens during a "lean" period, before the Emirati takeover, in August 2007. Elano represented the club well, making 80 appearances and scoring 18 goals across two seasons. To this day, the Brazilian remains popular with local supporters and was at the Etihad in 2023.

Geovanni

Alongside Elano, another name arrived who did not fare quite as well. Geovanni, already past his best days at Cruzeiro and Benfica, spent just one year in Manchester, scoring only three goals and providing one assist in 23 appearances. He left for Hull City in 2008.

Robinho

After failing to live up to expectations at Real Madrid, Robinho joined Manchester City as Abu Dhabi's first major investment, breaking England's transfer record at the time. However, over two years, he once again disappointed, eventually leaving on loan to Santos before a permanent move to AC Milan.

Jo

Signed alongside Robinho, the Brazilian centre-forward also failed to establish himself. After just a few months, he was loaned out to Everton, then to Galatasaray. In 2011, he left the club permanently for Internacional.

Glauber

Can a player become a "cult hero" after playing just one match for a club? Defender Glauber, signed in the same window as Jo and Robinho, is proof that it is possible. The former defender, known in Brazil for his spells at Palmeiras and Atletico Mineiro, played just 10 minutes for Manchester City, in the final match of the 2008-09 season.

He nonetheless became a fan favourite, with supporters appreciating his commitment in training and nicknaming him the "Invisible Man" for constantly being on the bench without ever coming on.

Fans even pressured the manager at the time to give the Brazilian more minutes, but it never happened. Glauber left the club after a single season.

Sylvinho

Following successful spells across European football, Sylvinho was already past his peak by the time he signed for Manchester City in 2009. At 35, he stayed just one year, starting nine matches, before retiring.

Maicon

Another full-back who spent only one year at the blue side of Manchester was Maicon, signed in 2012. The former Brazil international played just 13 matches in England before returning to Italy to join Roma. He later had spells at Avai, Criciuma, Villa Nova, Italy's Sona, and San Marino's Tre Penne, before retiring.

Fernandinho

Here, the greatest Brazilian in Manchester City's history. Over nine years at the Etihad Stadium, between 2013 and 2022, he won five Premier League titles, eight domestic cups, and made more than 380 appearances.

In his final year, he cemented his status as a leader by wearing the captain's armband, allowing him to lift one of his English title triumphs.

Fernando

A defensive midfielder like Fernandinho, Fernando did not have anywhere near the same impact at Manchester City. He arrived in 2014 and stayed until 2017, in the period that preceded the club's era of dominance.

Gabriel Jesus

The young forward who arrived in Manchester as a Brazilian champion with Palmeiras could hardly have imagined how big he would go on to become.

Gabriel Jesus, signed as a potential successor to Sergio Aguero, enjoyed strong moments over five years under Pep Guardiola, scoring almost 100 goals and winning four Premier League titles. The expectations placed on his talent, however, were never fully realised, in part due to a series of injuries.

Danilo

A champion at Santos, Porto and Real Madrid, Danilo could only really have joined Manchester City to win even more. Often underrated over the course of his career, Danilo enjoyed two solid years in England, being part of two English title triumphs.

He left in 2019 for Juventus, where he became a club icon, and currently plays for Flamengo.

Kayky

Four years associated with Manchester City, yet only two appearances for the first team. Kayky, developed by Fluminense, signed in 2021 and had spells with the Under-19 and Under-21 sides, but his most significant experience came through loan spells at Pacos de Ferreira, Bahia and Sparta Rotterdam.

Since 2025, he has been signed permanently by Bahia, part of the City Football Group, and is currently out on loan at Internacional.

Ederson

The goalkeeper who became the face of the Guardiola era at Manchester City. Ederson embodied the Catalan manager's footballing philosophy through his quality with the ball at his feet and defined an era, even if he was not always known primarily for his shot-stopping.

He was between the posts for six English titles and the club's greatest achievement in its history, the 2023 Champions League, delivering a standout performance that helped secure victory in the final. He stayed with the club between 2017 and 2025.

Savio

The right winger has just left the Citizens, moving to Tottenham Hotspur. Savio enjoyed a fine first year, registering 11 assists and starting 36 matches, but his final season yielded just six goal contributions and only 14 starts.

Vitor Reis

The only fellow countryman besides Nunes that Allan will find at the club is the young centre-back. In fact, the pair both came through Palmeiras' academy and played together at Under-20 level. Now, they will be reunited.

Vitor Reis, signed at the start of last year and loaned out to Girona for the 2025-26 season, returns with the promise of more minutes at the Etihad Stadium. The 2026-27 season is set to mark the presence of two Palmeiras academy graduates at Manchester City.