Manchester City have confirmed an agreement with Nottingham Forest for Elliot Anderson, turning one of the summer’s biggest transfer pursuits into a statement signing for Enzo Maresca’s rebuild.
The club announced on Thursday that an agreement had been reached for the England midfielder, while Sky Sports reports the package is worth £116 million. That would make Anderson the most expensive British player in history and City’s costliest signing, eclipsing the £100 million deal for Jack Grealish.
BREAKING: Elliot Anderson has completed his record-breaking £116m transfer to Manchester City from Nottingham Forest.
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) July 2, 2026
Enzo Maresca gets midfield rebuild signal
This is not merely another elite-market flex. City have already spent heavily across the last three years, and Sky’s wider analysis places the post-Anderson rebuild at around £824 million.
The tactical logic is clear. Anderson brings ball-carrying, duel strength and pressing range, traits City needed after Bernardo Silva’s exit sharpened the midfield reset. Read Man City previously examined how the move would test Maresca’s structure; confirmation now moves that debate from recruitment theory to squad reality.
For Anderson, the timing is striking. He remains with England at the 2026 World Cup, but City have moved before the market could reopen the race. The fee is huge. The message is bigger: Maresca’s first City midfield is being built at full throttle.
