Elliot Anderson to Man City in £116m British record deal
Manchester City have agreed a £116m deal to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, a fee that would make the 23-year-old England midfielder the most expensive British player and City's record signing. Anderson is on World Cup duty in the United States and is expected to undergo a medical before completing his move to the Etihad Stadium.
The breakthrough ends a summer-long pursuit in which City had two earlier bids rejected by Forest. Personal terms are not expected to be a problem, and Anderson has long preferred the Etihad over interest from Manchester United.
Key Takeaways
- Manchester City and Nottingham Forest have agreed a £116m fee for Elliot Anderson, surpassing the £100m paid for Jack Grealish in 2021.
- Anderson is set for a medical in the US while representing England at the 2026 World Cup, with formalities likely after Saturday's Panama game.
- The 23-year-old rose from a Bristol Rovers loan spell to England regular under Thomas Tuchel, who calls him "the full package."
- Forest plan to reinvest by targeting midfield replacements including Tottenham's Lucas Bergvall and Inter Milan's Davide Frattesi.
- City sources say the fee is £116m with no add-ons, though some reports suggest a higher total could challenge Alexander Isak's £125m British record.
Why does Elliot Anderson's £116m move matter?
For Manchester City, Elliot Anderson fills the club's primary midfield target slot this summer and is expected to play under incoming head coach Enzo Maresca. The fee eclipses City's previous record of £100m for Jack Grealish and, according to The Guardian, would also make Anderson the most expensive British player.
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis had insisted any sale match or exceed the £125m Liverpool paid Newcastle for Alexander Isak last summer. City maintain the guaranteed figure is £116m paid entirely in cash with no performance bonuses, while Forest believe add-ons could push the overall package higher.
Record transfers of this scale also reshape where elite athletes base their lives. As Anderson prepares to relocate to Greater Manchester, our luxury real estate and dream homes coverage tracks how top earners settle into the city's most sought-after neighbourhoods.
How did Elliot Anderson rise from Bristol Rovers to England star?
Anderson's journey from the playing fields of Tyneside to the World Cup stage is one of English football's steepest ascents. The Newcastle academy graduate made his senior debut in January 2021, before joining Bristol Rovers on loan a year later.
At Rovers, Anderson scored the decisive goal on the final day of the season that clinched promotion to League One — one of the club's greatest days. Former player-coach Glenn Whelan recalled the confident but never arrogant midfielder making an immediate impact in the West Country.
Forest signed him from Newcastle for £35m in 2024 after the Magpies offloaded him to satisfy profitability and sustainability rules. He made 88 appearances, helped Forest finish seventh in the Premier League, and reached the Europa League semi-finals. Club form earned him an England call-up; he has 11 caps since debuting last September and started both World Cup group games against Croatia and Ghana.
What happens next for the transfer?
Anderson has permission from Forest to undergo a medical in the United States, though timing remains delicate with England facing Panama on Saturday in their final Group L fixture. Thomas Tuchel has backed Anderson to stay focused on the tournament, describing him as the "full package" during England's preparation camp.
Forest are now expected to sign two central midfielders, with Bergvall and Frattesi among their targets. Newcastle will not receive a sell-on fee from the deal, having valued Anderson at just £15m when he moved to Nottingham two years ago.
Once formalities are complete, Anderson is on course to assume a central role at the Etihad — a homecoming of sorts for a player whose teachers once discussed betting he would represent England. That bet was never placed, but Manchester City have now put £116m on him doing exactly that.