Nottingham Forest turned down an £80 million offer for Elliot Anderson. They turned down another, worth more than £120 million but partly built on performance bonuses. Owner Evangelos Marinakis, who handled the talks himself, wanted a record guaranteed fee, and in the end Manchester City paid a straight £116 million in cash.
That makes the England midfielder City’s most expensive signing, ahead of the £100 million they spent on Jack Grealish in 2021. It also tops the £105 million Arsenal paid for Declan Rice in 2023 as the highest guaranteed fee for a British player, according to Dawan Africa. City sources said there were no add-ons. Other reports put the package higher, though the guaranteed figure stayed at £116 million.
Anderson is 23. Forest signed him from Newcastle United in 2024 for around £35 million. In two seasons at the City Ground he made 92 appearances, scored six goals and set up 11, and Forest finished seventh and reached the Europa League semi-finals. He started England’s first two World Cup games, against Croatia and Ghana, and was expected to have his medical while on international duty.
A midfield in need of rebuilding
City needed midfielders. Bernardo Silva left on a free transfer, the long-term future of Rodri was uncertain, and incoming manager Enzo Maresca arrived after Pep Guardiola’s departure. Anderson had already made clear that City were his preferred destination, so personal terms were not expected to be a problem.
The club was not done. Reports in late June said City were also watching Lille’s 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi, who impressed for Morocco at the World Cup. Lille wanted £85 million, the Manchester Evening News reported, although the price could come down, particularly if the buyer let him stay at Lille for another season. Transfermarkt lists his market value at around €50 million.
The same paper said Rodri, 30, was due to have surgery after the World Cup and was unlikely to play in the opening weeks of the season, and his contract has 12 months to run. City’s recent midfield buys have a mixed record. Nico Gonzalez cost £50 million 18 months ago and has played sporadically. Tijjani Reijnders cost £46.3 million last summer and made 19 league starts. Kalvin Phillips, bought for £42 million in 2022, spent the second half of last season on loan at Sheffield United.
Sources
- Bouaddi is next in line as City chase elusive answer to £300m question
- Man City turn attention towards another midfield deal after agreeing Elliot Anderson move
- ManCity Smash the Transfer Record: £116M for Elliot Anderson, Their Most Expensive Signing Ever
