Manchester City have agreed a club-record £116m deal to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, with the England midfielder set to undergo a medical before completing his move to the Etihad Stadium. City sources insist the fee is £116m with no bonuses attached, though other sources claim the deal could rise to £130m – a British record that would eclipse the £125m Liverpool paid Newcastle for Alexander Isak last summer. Anderson, 23, is preparing for England’s final Group L World Cup game against Panama on Saturday, and told BBC Sport: “It’s pretty easy really, I’m just focusing on the present, I’m blocking it all out. I’ve got a plan and it’s to perform for England. I’m putting myself in the best position to cross the line and do that.”
While City finalise that landmark transfer, Liverpool have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Yan Diomande, with the 19-year-old Ivory Coast winger preferring a move to Paris St-Germain. The Reds had an initial bid of £69m plus £17m in add-ons rejected this month. Leipzig, who signed Diomande from Leganes last summer on a five-year deal, are expected to demand about £129m and insist they are under no financial pressure to sell, prepared to offer him an improved contract to keep him for at least another season. PSG’s summer planning – led by chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, sporting adviser Luis Campos and manager Luis Enrique – aims to add one or two high-profile additions to a squad that won a second successive Champions League and another Ligue 1 title. That could be balanced by departures, with striker Goncalo Ramos expected to join AC Milan in a deal worth about £63m, and further exits including midfielder Lee Kang-in and forward Randal Kolo Muani also anticipated. Liverpool are also known to admire France winger Bradley Barcola, although sources in Paris say PSG are keen to extend his contract. The Reds signed Spain winger Victor Munoz for £34.5m from Osasuna this month, the first arrival since Andoni Iraola replaced Arne Slot as head coach.
“Man City agree £116m record deal for Anderson; Liverpool face dismay as Diomande prefers PSG.”
Anderson’s journey to a potential record move began at Newcastle, his boyhood club, which he joined at age eight. He made 55 first-team appearances before being sold to Forest for £35m in 2024 – a move Eddie Howe called “the most reluctant in my career”, forced by profit and sustainability rules fears. At Forest, he made 88 appearances, scoring four goals, and helped them finish seventh 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), possession won (306), duels won (297) and fouls drawn (80), while doubling his goal tally to four. Forest, now set to sign two midfielders, are interested in Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall and Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi.