Manchester City and Nottingham Forest have officially confirmed they have reached an agreement for the transfer of England midfielder Elliot Anderson, in a deal worth £116m ($153.9m).
The clubs announced the agreement on July 2, 2026, more than a week after The Guardian and Fox Sports first reported the £116m fee had been agreed in principle on June 25.
In its official statement, City said: "Manchester City and Nottingham Forest have reached an agreement for the transfer of Elliot Anderson. The formalities of the move will be finalised upon his return to England."
The club added: "In the meantime, everyone at Manchester City wishes Elliot and the England squad the very best of luck in their World Cup campaign and we look forward to welcoming him to Manchester in due course."
The fee makes the 23-year-old the most expensive British player in history, surpassing Jude Bellingham's move to Real Madrid and Declan Rice's £105m switch to Arsenal.
It also breaks Manchester City's club record, eclipsing the £100m paid to Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in 2021. The deal is not believed to include any performance-related add-ons.
Some initial reports had suggested the transfer could climb to a British record of £130m, but the Press Association indicated the final figure sits at £116m, below the £125m Liverpool paid Newcastle for Alexander Isak in summer 2025.
Anderson is currently in North America with England for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and has completed his medical in Kansas, where Thomas Tuchel's squad is based. He has started all four of England's matches so far.
Tuchel has been effusive about the midfielder, saying: "He's a top player. There's nothing more to say, he's the full package. I'm happy that he's with us on that kind of level and he's a key player for us."
The signing is the first of Enzo Maresca's reign, the Italian having been confirmed as City manager on June 29 on a three-year deal after the club paid Chelsea £17m in compensation.
He succeeds Pep Guardiola, who stepped down in May.
Anderson spent the last two seasons at Forest after a £35m move from Newcastle United, helping the club finish seventh in the Premier League and reach the Europa League semi-finals.
Manchester United had been keen but withdrew over Forest's high valuation.
The transfer will be formally completed once Anderson returns to England after the World Cup, with the midfielder's immediate focus on the Three Lions' last-16 clash against Mexico.




