Manchester City agree Elliot Anderson deal for £116million club record fee

Manchester City have agreed a deal to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for a £116million fee.

Anderson is set to become the most expensive British footballer of all time by moving to the Etihad. The deal will also represent a club record for Manchester City, eclipsing the £100m paid to sign Jack Grealish from Aston Villa in 2021.

The £116m fee is a fixed figure with no add-ons and will make Anderson the second-most expensivePremier League transfer ever, after Alexander Isak’s £125m move to Liverpool from Newcastle United last summer.

The Athletic are reporting that the 23-year-old has been granted permission to undergo a medical in New York today, ahead of completing the formalities of the move. Anderson is currently with the England squad, preparing for Saturday evening’s World Cup fixture against Panama at MetLife Stadium.

Anderson’s move represents a rapid rise for the midfielder, who joined Forest from Newcastle United in 2024. The deal was worth around £35m, though saw goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos head in the opposite direction for £20m.

Forest are set to bank a profit of more than £100m on Anderson in just two seasons, following his emergence as a key figure for club and country. Anderson has started both of England’s group games at the 2026 World Cup, partnering Declan Rice in midfield.

He arrives at a City side in the midst of a rebuild. Pep Guardiola has departed the club, with former Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca set to be named as his successor. Captain Bernardo Silva has departed for Real Madrid, opening a vacancy in midfield, while doubts remain over Rodri’s future at the Etihad.

Forest are assessing options to replace Anderson and areconsidering Tottenham Hotspur’s Lucas Bergvall, who has expressed a desire to leave North London. Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi has also been a long-standing target for the club.