Manchester City have agreed a deal to sign England midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for what would be a club-record fee, according to multiple reports — though, as with most transfers, it is not yet official.
What's reported
Sources told ESPN that City have agreed a fixed fee of around £116 million, which would surpass the £100 million the club paid for Jack Grealish in 2021. TEAMtalk, citing its own sources, put the guaranteed figure at about £120 million, with possible add-ons. The reports differ slightly on the structure, but agree a deal has been struck between the clubs. Neither Manchester City nor Nottingham Forest had confirmed it publicly at the time of writing, and a medical is reported still to be arranged — said to be taking place in the United States, where Anderson is with England at the World Cup.
Who Elliot Anderson is
Anderson, 23, is a box-to-box midfielder from the northeast of England who came through Newcastle United's academy before a breakout loan in the lower leagues, according to his profile. He joined Nottingham Forest in July 2024 for a reported fee of around £35 million and quickly became one of the Premier League's most influential midfielders, ranking among the league's leaders for touches and duels won in the 2025–26 season. He has since become a senior England international.
What it would mean
For City, a fee at the reported level would mark their biggest outlay ever and a statement of intent. For Forest, it would represent an extraordinary return — a profit of roughly £80 million on a player bought less than two years earlier — money the club is expected to reinvest.
The caveat remains important: until both clubs announce the transfer, it should be treated as agreed in principle rather than complete. Deals at this level occasionally stall at the medical or over final terms. But if confirmed, City will have added one of the division's standout young midfielders — and Forest will have set a striking marker for how much a single strong season can now be worth in the transfer market.
