Man City agree record £116m deal for Elliot Anderson

Manchester City have agreed a deal with Nottingham Forest to sign Elliot Anderson for a club-record £116m. The England midfielder is due for a medical before completing his move to the Etihad Stadium.

There is still some disagreement over the total value of the transfer, with some reports suggesting it could rise to £130m with add-ons. City sources, however, say the fee is £116m flat, which would still make it their record signing. Either way, the move would be one of the biggest in British football history.

Forest had held out for a higher fee and previously rejected two City bids before accepting the third offer. Personal terms are not expected to be an issue, and there had been growing confidence that the deal would eventually go through. Forest are now expected to move for two midfielders of their own, with Lucas Bergvall of Tottenham and Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi among their targets.

Anderson is currently with England at the World Cup and has stressed that he has tried to put club matters to one side. He said his focus is fully on performing for his country and staying present rather than being distracted by transfer talk.

The 23-year-old’s rise has been rapid. He joined Forest from Newcastle for £35m in 2024 and went on to make 88 appearances, scoring four goals. He played a major role in helping Forest finish seventh in 2024-25 and later 16th, while also featuring in their Europa League semi-final run last season.

Anderson’s journey began at Newcastle, where he joined the club as a boy at the age of eight and made his senior debut in 2021. He made 55 appearances for the Magpies before being sold, a move that was driven by concerns over profit and sustainability rules. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe later described it as the most reluctant sale of his career.

Since then, Anderson has developed into one of the Premier League’s most influential midfielders. Last season he topped the league for touches, possession wins, duels won and fouls drawn, underlining his all-round importance to Forest. He also increased his goal output, scoring four times in the league.

City’s move shows how highly they rate his ability to control games, win the ball and drive play forward. For Forest, it is another major departure, but also a huge profit on a player they signed just two years ago.