Manchester City agree £116m fee with Nottingham Forest for Elliot Anderson

Manchester City agree £116m fee with Nottingham Forest for Elliot Anderson

Manchester City have agreed a club-record £116m deal to sign midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. The fee, described by City sources and Fabrizio Romano as a fixed figure with no add-ons, eclipses the £100m the club paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in 2021.

Anderson, 23, has been granted permission to undergo a medical in New York on Friday. The transfer remains subject to the finalization of personal terms. The move comes while Anderson is on international duty with England at the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. He has started both of his country's opening matches against Croatia and Ghana and is expected to start against Panama on Saturday.

The agreement follows a prolonged pursuit. City had previously seen an opening offer rejected and later made a verbal proposal of £106m on June 10. Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis had insisted any sale would need to surpass the £125m British record set when Liverpool signed Alexander Isak from Newcastle last summer. While some sources claim the deal is worth up to £130m, others maintain the final figure is £116m.

For Nottingham Forest, the sale represents a massive financial return. Anderson joined the club from Newcastle in 2023 for £35m, a deal that included Odysseas Vlachodimos moving in the opposite direction. At that time, Forest valued Anderson at £15m and Vlachodimos at £20m. This latest deal yields a profit of more than £100m for the Midlands club.

Newcastle United will not benefit from this transfer. The Magpies had previously forced the sale of Anderson to satisfy Premier League profitability and sustainability regulations (PSR) to avoid a points deduction. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe described that previous exit as the most reluctant transfer I’ll ever do, noting the player's quality.

Anderson is viewed as a primary replacement for Bernardo Silva, who recently departed for Real Madrid. He is also seen as a long-term tactical partner for Rodri, particularly as the 30-year-old anchor is frequently linked with Real Madrid. Incoming manager Enzo Maresca, who is replacing Pep Guardiola, views Anderson's work rate and defensive screening as essential for the system. Additionally, the signing helps City meet homegrown player quotas.

The midfielder's rise has been rapid. After a loan spell at League Two side Bristol Rovers at age 19, he broke into Newcastle's first team before moving to Forest. In Nottingham, he helped the team finish seventh in the Premier League in 2024-25 and reach the Europa League semi-finals. He has since become a regular for Thomas Tuchel's England side, earning 11 caps since his debut in September 2025.

Statistically, Anderson became a focal point of the Forest side during the 2025-26 season. He recorded the most touches in the Premier League with 3,300 and led the league in winning possession (306), winning duels (297), and drawing fouls (80). He provided four goals and four assists during that campaign, including a goal against Manchester City in a 2-2 draw in March.

Speaking to BBC Sport this week, Anderson stated he has blocked out the transfer news to focus on the World Cup: "It's pretty easy really, I'm just focusing on the present, I'm blocking it all out. I've got a plan and it's to perform for England."

Forest now intend to use the windfall to rebuild their midfield. The club has targeted 20-year-old Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall as a potential replacement, with talks reportedly held over a £45m move. Forest are also interested in Inter Milan's Davide Frattesi and are expected to sign two midfielders this summer.

Meanwhile, City continue a significant spending spree, with the Anderson deal bringing their total expenditure across 2025 and 2026 to approximately £550m. The club is also reportedly considering a move for Newcastle's Sandro Tonali.