Man City finalizes £116M deal for Elliot Anderson

Manchester City agreed to a deal worth £116 million with Nottingham Forest to make Elliot Anderson the first signing of the post-Pep Guardiola era. The England midfielder was in the United States at the World Cup, and a medical was being arranged, with expectations that he would become a City player in the coming days. Anderson was nursing a slight glute concern ahead of England facing Panama on Saturday, but it was not thought to be serious, and no scan was necessary.

City believed they had agreed on an initial £106 million fee with Forest last week. Earlier this month, it was revealed that Evangelos Marinakis sought to secure a British-record £130 million after add-ons. Negotiations over the past few days centered around the structure of add-ons and the timeframe for payment. Following a breakthrough in talks, City sources stressed that the deal for Anderson would be a one-off payment, downplaying the notion that they surpassed the £125 million Liverpool paid for Alexander Isak.

Anderson is on the verge of joining Manchester City after the fee was agreed with Nottingham Forest. However, he will become the most expensive English footballer of all time, ahead of Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham. The 23-year-old made it clear that City was his preferred destination, with personal terms already agreed.

England boss Thomas Tuchel stated he would facilitate summer transfers for players in his squad, and arrangements for Anderson were now being made. There were no concerns regarding personal terms. Anderson's focus remained on England and the World Cup, and those involved were relaxed about the timing of the completion of the move.

There was no sell-on clause for Newcastle, who sold Anderson to Forest for £35 million in 2024 to avoid breaching PSR rules.