Elliot Anderson Completes Record £116m Move to Manchester City From Nottingham Forest

August 11, 2026

Manchester City have completed the signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116 million, making the England midfielder the most expensive British player in football history at the time of the deal — a record that has since been surpassed by Morgan Rogers's £117 million switch to Chelsea, meaning two British records have been set in the same summer.

Anderson has signed a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium, with the option of a further twelve months. His wages are understood to be in the region of £300,000 per week, reflecting the enormous faith City have placed in the 22-year-old. The fee also surpasses Manchester City's previous record signing — the £100 million paid for Jack Grealish — by a considerable margin.

The move marks the end of an exceptional chapter at Nottingham Forest, where Anderson became one of the most admired midfielders in English football. After joining Forest from Newcastle United, he grew into a dominant force in the middle of the park — technically accomplished, relentless in his pressing, and capable of contributing goals and assists at the highest level. His performances earned him a regular place in the England squad and a prominent role in Gareth Southgate's plans for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

For Manchester City, the signing addresses a long-standing need for a dynamic central midfielder capable of driving the team forward from deep. With the squad entering a transitional phase under their current manager, landing a player of Anderson's age, quality, and trajectory sends a clear statement about the club's ambitions in the Premier League and in Europe.

The deal ranks as the third most expensive in Premier League history and has attracted considerable attention beyond the football world. Anderson used the announcement to send a pointed message to Manchester United, a gesture that went down well with the blue half of the city and set the tone for what promises to be a high-profile arrival.

Nottingham Forest, for their part, will feel the loss of their most important player deeply. Anderson was irreplaceable in their system and his departure leaves a significant void in midfield. The fee, however, gives them considerable funds to reinvest and the club will be hoping to use the windfall wisely ahead of the new season.

Anderson's move to the Etihad Stadium is one of the defining transfers of a remarkable summer in English football — a summer that has also seen Bruno Guimaraes join Arsenal, Sandro Tonali move to Tottenham, and Mohamed Salah depart Liverpool for Trabzonspor. In terms of sheer ambition and financial scale, the 2026 transfer window may prove to be one of the most extraordinary in Premier League history.