Elliot Anderson Joins Manchester City for £116m, Declares Them 'Kings of Manchester'

Elliot Anderson has called Manchester City the “kings of Manchester” after completing his £116m move to the club from Nottingham Forest.

The 23-year-old was a key part of England’s third-place finish at the World Cup, having been an ever-present for Forest in the Premier League last season. Before Morgan Rogers’ £117m transfer to Chelsea from Aston Villa on Tuesday, Anderson’s fee was the record for a British player.

The midfielder is taking a three-week break after his exploits in North America but is clearly relishing the prospect of playing for City, picking out the first Manchester derby of the new season on 13 September as a standout fixture. He may well be in line for a hot reception from the Old Trafford faithful given his claims about City’s superior status.

“It’s one of the biggest derbies in the world and for as long as I’ve known Manchester, City have been the kings of Manchester,” Anderson said in an interview on City’s website. “It’ll be a great fixture and I can’t wait to be involved in something like that.

“They’re winners, they’re relentless, and that’s the sort of team I want to be a part of – champions and people who win trophies,” Anderson said of his reason for signing for City.

“Over the last 10, 12 years, they’ve dominated, so that’s why I wanted to join. It’s happened quite quick, but I think I always believed I could get to this point and this is where I want to be. Now that I’m here, I’ll keep pushing and try to take this club forward.” Anderson’s rise has been rapid, with his England debut coming as recently as last September, in a 2-0 victory over Andorra.

The Tyneside-born player, who began his career at Newcastle before joining Forest for £35m in July 2024, believes there is much more to come. “I’m only 23, so I’ve got plenty of time to get to my best levels and I definitely think I’m not there yet,” he said.

The deal was agreed three weeks ago but finalised this week after the player’s return from the World Cup. Anderson has signed until 2031 and is City’s first major signing since Enzo Maresca succeeded Pep Guardiola as manager. He is looking forward to working with the Italian. “I’ve watched his teams over the past couple of years and spoke to a few of the lads from Chelsea and they all rate him very highly,” Anderson said.

“I like to be intense when I play and use lots of energy around the pitch and get the fans going. So, I think that’ll be good.”

Kevin De Bruyne, who departed City two summers ago, is an idol for Anderson. “Growing up through the academy at Newcastle, I’ve always wanted to play like him,” Anderson said. “I’ve watched him all the time and to be sat here in the team that he was doing it for is so special.”

Anderson led the Premier League last season in most touches (3,300), most duels won (297) and winning possession (306). “I think I bring a bit of everything. I bring quality, physicality, energy,” he said. “I’d like to think I’d get them [the City supporters] excited, get them off their feet and bring energy to the team.”

Anderson spent half a season on loan at Bristol Rovers in 2022 and became known as the “Geordie Maradona” among supporters. “They started that and it sort of stuck everywhere I’ve been,” he said. “It makes me happy and it gives me real confidence.”

Reflecting on the World Cup, Anderson added: “It was disappointing, but I loved it personally. We had the whole country behind us and we’ve done so well but just fell short. From a personal point of view, I thought I did pretty well.”