Elliot Anderson completes Manchester City move in £116m deal

Manchester City have officially completed the signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, with the midfielder putting pen to paper on a five-year contract that runs until June 2031. The 23-year-old England international becomes City’s record signing, with the fee surpassing the £100m the club paid for Jack Grealish in 2021. The deal, initially agreed while Anderson was representing England at the World Cup, was briefly the most expensive in British football history before Morgan Rogers’ £117m move from Aston Villa to Chelsea overtook it. Anderson, who joined Forest from Newcastle for £35m in 2024, played a pivotal role in the club’s seventh-place Premier League finish and their first European qualification in three decades. Last season he helped Forest reach the Europa League semi-finals and led the Premier League in touches and duels won. He also became a regular under England manager Thomas Tuchel, featuring in every match at the World Cup. “As soon as I knew City wanted me, I was absolutely determined to make this move happen,” Anderson said. “You want to test yourself at the highest level. Being at City means I have that opportunity.” City fended off interest from Manchester United to land the midfielder. He will link up with former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, who took over after Pep Guardiola stepped down following a decade in charge. “They’re winners, they’re relentless,” Anderson added. “Over the last 10, 12 years they’ve dominated, so that’s why I wanted to join.” City’s director of football, Hugo Viana, called Anderson “one of the outstanding young midfield talents in the world” and highlighted his energy, work rate and passing range. “At just 23, there is plenty of opportunity for development over the coming years and we feel he can become a complete midfielder,” Viana said. Anderson will join his new teammates after a short break and is determined to establish himself in the first team.