Elliot Anderson calls Manchester City the “kings of Manchester” after £116m move

Elliot Anderson has completed a £116m move from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City and quickly embraced the scale of the club, describing them as the “kings of Manchester” in remarks reported by The Guardian. The 23-year-old midfielder said City are a team built on winning and relentless standards, adding that he wants to be part of that environment. The transfer is notable not just for its size but for what it says about Anderson’s rise. He was an ever-present for Forest in the Premier League last season and played a central role in England’s third-place finish at the World Cup, underlining why he has become such a highly rated midfielder. City have moved decisively to secure him after a season in which his consistency and availability stood out. Anderson also pointed to Kevin De Bruyne as a childhood inspiration, a line that will resonate with City supporters given the Belgian’s influence on the club’s modern era. That connection helps frame the move as more than a simple record-level signing: it is a player arriving with a clear sense of the standards he is walking into. The fee had briefly stood as a British record before Morgan Rogers’ £117m switch to Chelsea from Aston Villa on Tuesday moved the marker again, according to The Guardian’s report. Even so, Anderson’s transfer remains one of the most expensive in the Premier League this summer and reinforces how elite clubs continue to pay a premium for proven top-flight performers in their early 20s. For Forest, the loss is significant. Anderson was a regular fixture in their league campaign and one of the players around whom they could reasonably have planned. For City, the hope will be that his athleticism, ball-carrying and durability translate quickly into Pep Guardiola’s system, where technical precision and tactical discipline are non-negotiable. What remains unclear from the initial reporting is how City intend to use him straight away, whether as a direct replacement in midfield depth or as part of a broader reshaping of the squad. There was also no immediate detail in the feed on contract length, add-ons or whether the deal includes performance-related clauses. Still, the message from Anderson is plain enough. He is arriving at a club he sees as the standard-bearer in Manchester, and he is making no attempt to hide his ambition. That sort of public endorsement will only sharpen attention on how quickly he can justify the price tag.

Source: The Guardian Football - https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jul/23/elliot-anderson-manchester-city-116m-nottingham-forest-transfer-premier-league