Manchester City confirms £116m deal for Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest

By Rohan Gupta — 23 July 2026 — 3 min read

Anderson joins Manchester City

Elliot Anderson has completed a move to Manchester City from Nottingham Forest for £116m. The midfielder has signed a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium, with an option for an additional 12 months. The deal was initially agreed upon earlier this month and finalised this week following Anderson’s return from the World Cup, where he helped England secure a third-place finish.

Anderson, 23, expressed his enthusiasm for joining what he described as “one of the biggest clubs in the world.” He stated that he was “over the moon” to sign and looks forward to winning trophies with the club. He noted that City is a club “built to win trophies and compete at the very top of the game,” which he finds exciting as a footballer.

The midfielder was a target for Manchester United this summer, but he declared his new side the “kings of Manchester.” Anderson also revealed his admiration for former City player Kevin De Bruyne, stating he grew up idolising him and always wanted to play like him. He will link up with new manager Enzo Maresca’s squad for pre-season training next month.

Impact and expectations

Anderson joined Forest two years ago in a £35m deal after coming through the youth ranks at Newcastle. He made 55 first-team appearances for Newcastle and played 92 times for Forest. Last season, he earned his first England call-up and became a key member of Thomas Tuchel’s side, featuring in every game at the World Cup.

At Forest, Anderson became an integral player, helping the club finish seventh in the Premier League and qualify for Europe for the first time in 30 years. He also contributed to Forest reaching the Europa League semi-finals last season and led the Premier League in touches and duels won.

City’s director of football, Hugo Viana, praised Anderson as “one of the outstanding young midfield talents in world football.” Viana highlighted Anderson’s energy, work rate, and exceptional passing range, adding that he believes Anderson can become a complete midfielder. Anderson himself believes he brings a bit of everything to the team, including quality, physicality, and energy, and hopes to excite the fans.

Transfer market trends

The £116m fee for Anderson represents a club record for City, surpassing the £100m spent on Jack Grealish in 2021. This transfer is part of a broader trend of increasing costs for top-end signings in the Premier League. The idea of a £100m-plus investment has become more common, with fees accelerating beyond general market inflation.

Recent transfers include Florian Wirtz for £116.5m and Alexander Isak for £125m to Liverpool last summer. This transfer window has also seen significant sums spent on players such as Sandro Tonali for £100m and Morgan Rogers for £117m. Rogers’ transfer from Aston Villa to Chelsea has since eclipsed Anderson’s deal as the most expensive player in British history.

These moves have caused top-end average transfer fees to rise significantly, from £36.6m in 2024-25 to £70.5m in 2026. Anderson is currently on a summer break and will join his new teammates for pre-season training next month. The first Manchester derby of the new season is scheduled for September 13 at Old Trafford.

Source: skysports.com

Rohan Gupta

Sports Reporter