elliot anderson
As the month of June nears its end, Manchester City are on the verge of signing their first player of the 2026 summer transfer window. And it’s a big deal too, as this transaction, once it’s finalized, is set to break a couple different transfer fee records. Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson is about to become the Man City signing of the post-Pep Guardiola era. We would say the first signing of the Enzo Maresca era, but that situation hasn’t been officially finalized yet. Maresca is in frame to become Pep’s successor, but there is still legal matters with Chelsea to work out on that.
elliot anderson
Maresca is another story for another time. For now, let’s focus on Anderson, who is about to break City’s club record for a transfer acquisition.
According to a report in ESPN, Anderson will move from Forest to City on “a fixed fee of £116 million with no add-ons.” This would break two transfer spending records-
Jack Grealish became the first £100m English born player ever, when he moved from Aston Villa to City in the summer of 2021. In the process, he also shattered City’s club record for a transfer buy. Grealish’s British born player transfer fee record has since been surpassed by Declan Rice, when he left West Ham United for Arsenal, for a fee of £105m in 2023.
As you can see from the embedded link below, The Athletic/New York Times has the story as well.
🚨 Elliot Anderson expected to join Manchester City from Nottingham Forest on 5yr contract + option to extend by 12mnths. 23yo #NFFC & #England midfielder’s #MCFC deal could be worth up to £300kpw across duration of terms if bonuses achieved @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/VdCgmbb0Kf
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) June 26, 2026
Anderson, currently with England at the 2026 World Cup in America, will blow past both Grealish’s club and Rice’s Englishman records.
The 23-year-old will not become the most expensive transfer buy, all-time, by a British club, however. That record was broken twice, by Liverpool, last summer. First Anfield signed Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for £116 million. Then they inked a deal to bring in Swedish international Alexander Isak from Newcastle United; for the hefty sum of £125m.
That record seems safe for now, even after the Elliot Anderson signing.
metlife stadium
Anderson and England take on Panama, in East Rutherford, NJ tomorrow, as they look to secure their place in the knockout round.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor ofThe Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.