Elliot Anderson declared Manchester City to be the ‘Kings of Manchester’ after sealing a £116million move from Nottingham Forest.
City confirmed the completion of the deal on Thursday, with the England midfielder becoming their fourth signing of the summer.
The 23-year-old has enjoyed a rapid rise since his move from Newcastle United to Nottingham Forest in 2024. His transfer preceded a season in which Newcastle ended their 70-year domestic trophy drought with victory in the EFL Cup, with Forest losing in the semi-finals of the FA Cup in that campaign before going out at the same stage of the Europa League last term.
And Anderson, who featured in every game at the World Cup as England finished third, is excited at the chance to compete for the first silverware of his career under new City boss Enzo Maresca.
Anderson aims Manchester derby dig at United
Speaking about the Manchester derby, which will be contested again at Old Trafford on September 13, Anderson took aim at City’s arch rivals Manchester United with a not so subtle dig.
“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 with City’s website. “It’ll be a great fixture and I can’t wait to be involved in something like that.
“They’re [City] winners, they’re relentless, and that’s the sort of team I want to be a part of – champions and people who win trophies. 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.”
Director of football Hugo Viana, also a former Newcastle midfielder, said of Anderson: “Elliot is one of the outstanding young midfield talents in world football right now.
“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.”
