Lincoln City youngster Isaac Allan is set to leave the club for Premier League side Sunderland, with a deal believed to be close to completion, according to the Sunderland Echo.
The 18-year-old goalkeeper has spent the last three years progressing through the Imps’ academy, but is now expected to continue his development at the Academy of Light.
Allan’s journey to professional football has been anything but conventional. Hailing from the Isle of Man, where footballing infrastructure is limited, he caught the eye at a UK Football Trials event, earning attention from several clubs, including Sheffield United. We got ahead of the game and offered him a place in our academy.
Over the past few years, Allan has established himself in the Imps’ under-18 side, featuring regularly in the FA Youth Cup and earning senior recognition with a spot on the bench for League One fixtures, including against Bristol Rovers.
Earlier this year, the teenager was invited for a trial at Sunderland, training with their U18s under the watch of Fin Lynch and Jordan Moore. Reports from Wearside suggest he impressed enough to earn a permanent move, and though an official announcement is yet to be made, sources close to the deal have indicated it is all but done.
As Allan is under the age of 24, Lincoln City will be entitled to compensation – either through a mutually agreed fee or, if necessary, via the PFCC.
There is an element of the Scott Loach about this. While losing a young goalkeeper is never ideal, it’s a testament to the club’s development structure that Championship sides are taking notice. Allan was not yet on a professional contract at Sincil Bank, but the report suggests we did make an offer.
With George Wickens, Zack Jeacock and Jamie Pardington ahead of him in the first team pecking order, a move to Sunderland may represent a clearer pathway for Allan. That said, it leaves Lincoln slightly lighter in the youth goalkeeping ranks heading into the 2025/26 campaign.
Allan becomes the latest academy product to attract outside attention, following a pattern of external interest in the club’s development players. It’s a reminder that while the first team rightly garners the headlines, the work behind the scenes continues to produce talent capable of operating higher up the pyramid.
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