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Elliot Anderson has officially become the most expensive English footballer in history after sealing a £116 million transfer from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City.

The Premier League champions have broken their own transfer record to secure the England midfielder, surpassing the £100 million fee they spent on Jack Grealish from Aston Villa back in 2022.

Anderson’s move follows a stellar season with Nottingham Forest, where he showcased exceptional passing, tireless energy, and leadership, helping the team stay in the Premier League and reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League.

Remarkably, Forest had signed Anderson from Newcastle United for £35 million just two years ago. That decision now looks like a masterstroke for Forest but one that Newcastle may rue for years to come.

The 23-year-old becomes only the fifth English player ever to command a transfer fee of more than £100 million. Jack Grealish was the first in 2021, and within two years, that threshold was crossed multiple times in one summer.

In June 2023, Real Madrid paid an astounding £115 million to bring Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund, followed by Declan Rice’s £105 million move from West Ham United to Arsenal in July. The same summer, Harry Kane left Tottenham Hotspur for Bayern Munich in a £100 million deal.

Among these megadeals, Grealish’s transfer is often debated regarding value for money, though he did help City achieve a historic Treble in his debut season. Bellingham quickly became a Champions League winner at Real Madrid and established himself as one of the finest midfielders of his generation. Rice has been pivotal in Arsenal’s title-winning campaign, anchoring their midfield, while Kane has continued his prolific goalscoring form since moving to Germany.

Now, all eyes are on Anderson to see if he can emulate their success and justify his record-breaking price tag.

The five most expensive English transfers:

1. Elliot Anderson – Nottingham Forest to Manchester City, £116m (2026)

2. Jude Bellingham – Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid, £115m (2023)

3. Declan Rice – West Ham United to Arsenal, £105m (2023)

4. Jack Grealish – Aston Villa to Manchester City, £100m (2021)

=4. Harry Kane – Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich, £100m (2023)