Man City director in classy nod to Forest for turning Anderson into £116m star

Manchester City director of football Hugo Viana has given a nod to Nottingham Forest in Elliot Anderson’s rise to being a £116m player.

City have officially unveiled Anderson at the Etihad after the transfer deal with Forest was confirmed while the midfielder was on England duty at the World Cup. He has signed a five-year deal at City.

Anderson spent two seasons at the City Ground, after joining Forest for £35m from Newcastle United in July 2024, helping the Reds finish seventh in the Premier League and qualify for Europe in his first season and reach the semi-finals of the Europa League last season.

He was also a key figure as England reached the semi-finals of the World Cup this summer, with Viana saying Anderson’s “improvement in recent years has been really impressive”.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Get all the Nottingham Forest latest via our Facebook page

“Elliot is one of the outstanding young midfield talents in world football right now,” said Viana.

“He offers energy, outstanding work rate and an exceptional range of passing. His improvement in recent years has been really impressive and underlines his desire to be the best player he can be.

“At just 23, there is plenty of opportunity for development over the coming years and we feel he can become a complete midfielder. Manchester City is the best place for him to develop his game and keep improving, we are glad that he sees things the same way as we do.

“I look forward to seeing Elliot working with us ahead of the new season. I’m sure every City fan is excited to see what he can do.”

Speaking about his transfer, Anderson said: “City are one of the biggest clubs in the world and the squad they have is amazing - so strong in every position. As soon as I knew they wanted me, I was absolutely determined to make this move happen.

“As a footballer, you want to test yourself at the highest level. Being at City means I have that opportunity.

“From the outside looking in, City are a club that treats its players well and provides the perfect environment to excel. The success they have had and the way they have played the game in the last 10 to 15 years has been extraordinary. It’s a privilege to be given the chance to be part of that.

“As soon as I arrive in Manchester after a break, I will be doing everything I can to establish myself in the City team.

“It’s a club built to win trophies and compete at the very top of the game. That is exciting for any footballer.

“I am so happy to have been given this opportunity, and I am determined to repay the faith City have shown in me.”

Delivered straight to your inbox, our regular email bulletins feature all the latest Forest news, views, gossip, opinion and transfer updates.

Social Media: You can also get all the latest updates by following us on social media here Facebook and X

WhatsApp: You can also get all your favourite content from the Nottingham Post's Forest team on WhatsApp. Click here to sign up for breaking updates about the biggest stories in and around the club.

App: We also have a free app which you can download. It is always up-to-date with the latest Forest news. You can personalise the content you see by selecting Nottingham Forest as one of your designated topics. You can get it from Apple here and for Android here.