Manchester City completed a British transfer record on Thursday, signing England midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116 million, the most expensive deal ever for a British player and the first major signing of Enzo Maresca's tenure as City manager.
The fee, worth roughly $155 million, surpasses the £115 million Real Madrid paid for Jude Bellingham in 2023 and becomes Manchester City's own club record, eclipsing the £100 million the club paid for Jack Grealish in 2021. Anderson, 23, has signed a five-year contract with an option for a further year at the Etihad Stadium.
A new era at City
The signing is the first major move of the Maresca era at Manchester City. Maresca, formerly Chelsea's manager, was appointed to succeed Pep Guardiola after Guardiola stepped down at the end of last season, closing out one of the most successful managerial spells in Premier League history. Anderson's arrival gives Maresca a marquee midfield addition to build around as he begins reshaping the squad.
Anderson began his career at Newcastle United, making 55 first-team appearances before a loan spell at Bristol Rovers earned him the nickname "Geordie Maradona." He moved to Nottingham Forest for £35 million two years ago and made 92 appearances for the club, establishing himself as one of the Premier League's most sought-after young midfielders and drawing previous interest from Manchester United. He was also part of England's squad that finished third at the 2026 World Cup.
I can't wait to play for this club. It's a club built to win trophies... City have been the kings of Manchester.
Elliot Anderson, via Sky Sports
"I'm only 23, so there's more to come from me," Anderson added, naming Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne as a player he has "hugely looked up to." City director of football Hugo Viana called Anderson "one of the outstanding young midfield talents in world football," while incumbent City midfielder Mateo Kovačić publicly backed the signing as "a great signing." BBC Sport pundit Fara Williams argued Anderson had been "the signing of the season" for Nottingham Forest and said he "deserves" a recall to the England squad.
Inflation at the top of the market
The deal reflects broader transfer inflation at the top of the Premier League market: the average fee for the league's most expensive incoming signings has risen from £36.6 million in the 2024-25 season to £70.5 million this year. Only two other deals rank higher among incoming Premier League transfers in league history — Liverpool's £125 million move for Alexander Isak and its £116.5 million signing of Florian Wirtz.
For Nottingham Forest, the sale represents a significant financial windfall but also the loss of a player widely regarded as central to the club's recent Premier League stability. Forest had resisted approaches for Anderson in the past, but the scale of City's offer, combined with the player's own ambitions to compete at the highest level of European football, ultimately proved decisive. The club is expected to reinvest a substantial portion of the fee into squad depth ahead of the new season.
The move also underscores the scale of investment Manchester City is prepared to make as it looks to reassert itself domestically and in Europe under a new manager, following a transitional season that ended the Guardiola era. Maresca, who won the UEFA Conference League with Chelsea before departing, is expected to continue reshaping City's midfield and attacking options before the transfer window closes, with Anderson's signing widely seen as a statement of intent rather than a one-off addition. Anderson is set to make his Manchester City debut once the Premier League season opens Aug. 21, with his first Manchester derby against United scheduled for Sept. 13.
