Elliot Anderson is on the verge of becoming the most expensive British footballer in history – a record set by another product of the same grassroots club. Manchester City have agreed a deal with Nottingham Forest for the 23-year-old England midfielder worth £116m, with no bonuses attached, according to City sources. Other sources claim the deal could reach £130m, which would eclipse the £125m Liverpool paid Newcastle for Alexander Isak last summer.
Anderson, who scored for Forest in a 2-2 draw at the Etihad in March, is set for a medical before completing his move. Forest rejected two earlier bids before accepting the third. Personal terms are not expected to be an issue.
“Manchester City agree club-record £116m deal for Elliot Anderson, the latest star produced by Wallsend Boys Club.”
His journey began at Wallsend Boys Club, a grassroots team in working-class north Tyneside. The club, founded in 1904 by a local shipbuilding company to keep apprentices off the streets, has produced a remarkable line of football talent. Alan Shearer’s record £15m move to Newcastle in 1996 was a previous milestone. Now Anderson, who joined Newcastle at age eight, is following in that tradition.
“It wasn’t just the football side of it, it was the people who worked at the boys’ club and how grounded they made you as a person,” said Alan Thompson, a Wallsend graduate who played for Newcastle, Leeds, Aston Villa and Celtic.
Anderson made his Newcastle debut in 2021 and made 55 appearances before being sold to Forest for £35m in 2024 – a deal forced on the Magpies because of profit and sustainability rules. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe called it “the most reluctant in my career”. At Forest, Anderson made 88 appearances, scoring four goals. He helped them finish seventh in the Premier League in 2024-25 and 16th last season, when they also reached the Europa League semi-finals.
Last season he led the Premier League in touches (3,300), won possession (306 times) and duels (297), and drew the most fouls (80). His goals doubled from two to four, though his assists dropped from six to four.
Anderson is now preparing for England’s final Group L game against Panama at the World Cup on Saturday. “It’s pretty easy really, I’m just focusing on the present, I’m blocking it all out,” he told BBC Sport. “I’ve got a plan and it’s to perform for England.”
The north-east has supplied four of Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad, second only to Greater London. Wallsend, population 45,000, now boasts two record-breaking transfers. The club’s general manager, John Percival, said its focus remains on young people’s wellbeing, offering activities from martial arts to line dancing, and discreetly providing discounted or free meals.
Forest, meanwhile, are expected to sign two midfielders this summer, with interest in Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall and Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi.