Manchester City agree record fee with Forest for Anderson

Manchester City have agreed a deal with Nottingham Forest to sign Elliot Anderson for a club record Ksh19.14 billion.

The England midfielder, 23, is set to have a medical before completing his move to Etihad Stadium.

Potential club record

City sources insist the fee for Anderson is Ksh 19.14 billion, which would be a club record, with no bonuses attached.

Other sources claim the deal is worth up to Ksh21.45 billion, which would represent a British record fee, eclipsing the Ksh20.63 billion Liverpool paid Newcastle for striker Alexander Isak last summer.

Forest had been holding out for a higher fee for Anderson, rejecting two previous offers from City.

Personal terms were not expected to be an issue, and there was always a degree of confidence the deal would get done eventually, once City made a third bid.

Forest are interested in Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall, along with Davide Frattesi of Inter Milan, and are now expected to sign two midfielders this summer.

World Cup

Anderson is preparing for England’s final Group L game against Panama at the World Cup on Saturday and told BBC Sport this week how he has pushed his club future to one side.

“It is pretty easy really, I am just focusing on the present, I am blocking it all out,” he said. “I have got a plan and it’s to perform for England. I’m putting myself in the best position to cross the line and do that.”

Anderson joined Forest for Ksh5.78 billion from Newcastle in 2024 and has made 88 appearances for the club, scoring four goals.

He helped Forest finish seventh in the Premier League in 2024-25 and then 16th last season, when they also reached the Europa League semi-finals.

Anderson joined his boyhood club, Magpies, at the age of eight and made his first-team debut in 2021.

He went on to make 55 appearances before being sold to Forest, a deal effectively forced on the Magpies because they feared they were going to break profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and incur a points deduction.

Switch to England

Eddie Howe, the Newcastle manager, called the sale of Anderson “the most reluctant in my career.”

He was immediately a regular starter at Forest and helped them qualify for Europe in 2024-25, and after being a Scotland youth international, he switched to England’s under-21s in August 2024 before making his senior debut in September 2025.

Anderson’s influence at Forest grew during the 2025-26 season. He had the most touches in the Premier League (3,300), won possession the most times (306), won the most duels (297), and drew the most fouls (80).

He also doubled his goal tally for the season from two to four, although his Premier League assists dropped from six to four.