Anderson gets Man City move he craved as £116m deal done

What the report says

BBC Sport reports that Manchester City have completed the signing of England midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest on a five-year contract running to June 2031. The deal, described in the headline as worth £116m, is a club-record outlay for City, surpassing the £100m they paid for Jack Grealish in 2021. It had been expected to make Anderson the most expensive British player before Morgan Rogers’ £117m move from Aston Villa to Chelsea overtook it.

Anderson, 23, said he was intent on joining City once he learned of their interest, presenting the move as a chance to prove himself at the top level. BBC Sport says the agreement between City and Forest was reached while Anderson was with England at the World Cup, on the eve of England’s Group L match against Panama. City also reportedly saw off interest from Manchester United.

The midfielder joined Nottingham Forest from Newcastle United in 2024 for £35m and became a major figure in Forest’s rise, including a seventh-place Premier League finish and European qualification for the first time in 30 years. Last season, BBC Sport says he helped Forest reach the Europa League semi-finals and led the Premier League for touches and duels won. He also featured in every game for Thomas Tuchel’s England at the World Cup after making his senior debut in August 2025.

At City, Anderson joins a side now managed by Enzo Maresca following Pep Guardiola’s departure after a decade in charge. City director of football Hugo Viana praised Anderson’s energy, work rate and passing, saying the club believes he can develop into a “complete midfielder.”