On several occasions during the pre-season, manager Jurgen Klopp has praised the talents of Allan, though little has been seen of him in real-time. The Brazilian, who was transferred to Liverpool last September from hometown club Internacional, has only been getting sparse minutes in friendlies and closed-doors fixtures.
Hertha BSC the destination
Hertha BSC, who confirmed that the youngster was training with them via Twitter on Tuesday, have a recent record of giving young players the first-team minutes required for development. Half the Hertha squad is under the age of 26 (13), and eight of those are under-22. It looks like Allan will join the Bundesliga club on a season-long-loan.
After earning a Europa League qualifying place from their much improved league performances in the 2015/16 Bundesliga campaign, Berlin could be just the right destination for Allan – a place for development, top-tier football, and potentially some continental competition as well.
A loan was always going to be the option, as Allan cannot yet receive a work permit from the UK. A year abroad in Europe will move the Brazilian that much closer to being ready to fire for Liverpool, as it's expected he'll finally get a work permit next year.
Allan has been here, there and everywhere
Allan spent last season on loan as well, first with Finnish title winners Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho (SJK for short, but that name simply deserves to be written out). The youngster scored a goal and assisted four more in his eight matches in the country.
After Finland’s league season came to a close, he was subsequently sent to the more mild-temperate Belgium, specifically to Sint-Truidense. Though he was unable to score or assist a goal during his tenure in Belgium, his nine appearances were held in high regard.
When called up to the Brazil U20 national team over the summer, Klopp immersed the Brazilian in praise. When liverpoolfc.com asked, he said:
“I saw him in training and I thought ‘oh my God, what can we do to keep this boy here and bring him into the line-up?” Later, the German manager learned the FA rules and the red tape around work permits.