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Elliott Anderson has declared Manchester City the “King of Manchester” after completing his £116m move from Nottingham Forest.
The England midfielder has signed a five-year deal with a further 12-month option at the Etihad Stadium.
The deal was agreed earlier this month But this week has been culminating after the player returned from the World Cup after helping the Three Lions to a third-place finish.
Anderson said he was “over the moon” to be signing for “one of the biggest clubs in the world” and had his sights firmly set on winning trophies.
“I can’t wait to play at this club,” said the 23-year-old. “This is a club built to win trophies and compete at the very top of the game. That’s exciting for any footballer.
“I think they’re winners, they’re relentless, and that’s a team I want to be a part of. For the last 10, 12 years, they’ve dominated, so I wanted to join.”
The midfielder is already relishing the prospect of playing in the Manchester derby, with City due to face arch-rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford on September 13, live on Sky Sports.
Anderson, who has been a target for Man Utd this summer, said: “It’s one of the biggest derbies in the world and for as long as I’ve known Manchester, City have been king of Manchester.
“It’s going to be a great game, and I can’t wait to be involved in something like that.”
‘More to come from me’
Anderson has signed a five-year deal at Man City
Anderson came through the youth ranks at Newcastle and made 55 first-team appearances for his boyhood club. He also enjoyed a successful loan spell at Bristol Rovers earlier in his career, where he earned the nickname ‘Jordi Maradona’.
He joined Forest two years ago in a £35m deal and has played 92 times for the Reds. He earned his first England call-up last season and quickly established himself as a key member of Thomas Tuchel’s squad.
“I’m only 23, so I have plenty of time to reach my best level,” he said. “I’m definitely not there yet and there’s a lot more to come from me.
“I think I bring something. I bring quality, I bring physicality, energy. I’d like to think I’ll excite the fans, get them off their feet and bring energy to the team.”
Anderson expressed his admiration for De Bruyne
Anderson signed his City contract with their transfer boss Hugo Viana
The move has added significance for Anderson, as he grew up idolizing former City star Kevin De Bruyne.
He said: “I think Kevin De Bruyne is someone I’ve looked up to over the last seven or eight years.
“I’ve always wanted to play like him. I’ve watched him all the time and it’s special to be sitting here for a team that he’s doing it for.”
Anderson is now enjoying a summer break and will join up with new manager Enzo Maresca’s squad for pre-season training next month.
Director of football Hugo Viana said: “Elliott is one of the outstanding young midfield talents in world football. We think he can develop into a complete midfielder.”
Are £100m-plus fees for players the new normal?
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Sky Sports News’ Dave Reid assesses whether £100m-plus deals are becoming the new norm in the transfer market
The average cost of top-end signings in the Premier League has exploded. The £100m-plus player is no longer an outlier, but increasingly the norm.
A trend was started By Jack Grealish A £100million move from Aston Villa to Manchester City in 2021 has, in effect, snowballed, setting a new benchmark for elite Premier League talent that continues to churn out records.
Over the past decade the average price of the premium player pool has started to accelerate much more than general market inflation.
This apparent acceleration has been particularly evident in the last three years. Between 2016-2023, average top-end consumption is relatively stable. They fluctuated to a degree but not with the discrimination we see now.
Following on from Grealish, the idea of a £100m-plus investment has become more natural.
The idea that the so-called ‘top six’ could force sales from smaller clubs is less applicable in an era of high-end owners and greater financial gain.
That bargaining power has also been used to drive up prices between competing clubs.
Saw the move for last summer Florian Wirtz (£116.5m) and Alexander Issac (£125m) Liverpool, while spending big this window Elliott Anderson (£116m), Sandro Tonali (£100m) and Morgan Rogers (£117m).
The moves sent the top-end average up from £36.6m in 2024-25 to £70.5m in 2026.
