Manchester City have agreed a club-record deal to sign Nottingham Forest and England midfielder Elliot Anderson for £116 million. The 23-year-old joins after two seasons at Forest and will be seen as a major long-term investment in City’s midfield.
Anderson spent 11 years in Newcastle United’s youth system and made his senior debut in 2021 before moving to Nottingham Forest for around £35 million in 2024, a transfer that was reportedly linked to Newcastle’s efforts to avoid a possible Premier League Profit and Sustainability rules penalty. He moved through youth international ranks with Scotland up to U21 level before switching allegiance to England U21s in 2024.
His performances at Forest accelerated his rise. He helped the club improve from 17th the previous season to a seventh-place finish, and during the 2025-26 campaign — which combined a relegation battle with European football — he emerged as one of the top central midfielders in the Premier League. Anderson finished the season as the outfield leader in touches (3,300), duels won (297), fouls won (80) and possessions won (306), and ranked in the top five for total passes and tackles. He also scored in a 2-2 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad in March and featured in the Europa League last season.
According to Rob Dawson and Tor-Kristian Karlsen, City’s recruitment strategy favours players already proven in the Premier League because they adapt more quickly to the league’s pace and physicality. Recent January signings such as centre back Marc Guéhi (£20 million from Crystal Palace) and winger Antoine Semenyo (£62.5 million from Bournemouth) were noted as examples of those who slotted in immediately, removing an element of uncertainty for City’s recruitment team.
Dawson and Karlsen add that Manchester City have had mixed returns from recent midfield additions, with Tijjani Reijnders and Nico González failing to fully convince in their first seasons. With Bernardo Silva having left on a free transfer and questions over the futures of Reijnders and González — plus Rodri entering the final year of his contract — City viewed Anderson as both a present solution and a long-term option, which helps explain the size of the fee.
