Manchester City have secured the services of Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson in a groundbreaking £130m transfer that shatters British football records.
The England international will become the costliest British player in the sport’s history once the deal is finalised.
This landmark acquisition surpasses the £125m that Liverpool spent to bring Alexander Isak from Newcastle last year.
City’s own previous transfer benchmark, the £100m paid to Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in August 2021, has also been comprehensively eclipsed.
Manchester City have agreed a fee to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest
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REUTERS
Anderson had made clear his desire to join the Manchester club, despite Pep Guardiola’s departure at the end of the season, with Enzo Maresca anticipated to take over as manager.
Negotiations between the two clubs had stretched over several weeks before an agreement was finally reached.
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis drove a hard bargain throughout, determined to extract maximum value given City’s position as clear favourites to land the midfielder.
The sticking points centred on the upfront payment amount and bonus terms within the overall package structure.
Anderson is now set to complete his medical on American soil in the coming days.
Elliot Anderson will complete a medical on American soil as he is with England at the World Cup
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REUTERS
England boss Thomas Tuchel has granted his squad members clearance to finalise transfer moves while representing their country at the World Cup, allowing the deal to progress without delay.
With Anderson’s departure confirmed, Forest will now intensify their hunt for a suitable replacement in the middle of the park.
Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall has caught the eye of the club’s recruitment staff, and the Swedish international has indicated he wishes to leave north London this summer.
Enzo Maresca will replace Pep Guardiola as Man City manager this summer | GETTY
The Midlands outfit are also monitoring Christ Inao Oulaï, the Ivory Coast international currently plying his trade with Turkish side Trabzonspor.
Celtic’s Arne Engels has once again been mentioned as a potential target following rejected approaches in January, though sources suggest other candidates are currently prioritised.
Meanwhile, Belgian outfit Club Brugge have expressed interest in goalkeeper Matz Sels, but Forest are understood to have no plans to part with him.
