Why Elliot Anderson will be worth every penny to Man City as record deal edges closer

[p]According to multiple reports, the brilliant 23-year-old midfielder's current employers, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nottingham/UsushcZr/"]Nottingham Forest[/a], have reached an agreement with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a] for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/anderson-elliott/KdYCbsbE/"]Anderson[/a] to sign in a British record deal for £130m (including add-ons), though some reports suggest a fee nearer £116m.[/p][p]Either way, that represents a huge profit for Forest, who signed the player for £35m from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/newcastle-utd/p6ahwuwJ/"]Newcastle United[/a] back in 2024.[/p][p]It's now expected that Anderson will undergo a medical in the US, which is hardly the best preparation for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a]'s next group game against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/panama/OWKqbCfi/"]Panama[/a], but the midfielder doesn't seem fazed.[/p][embed guid="a11ba3d2-7a3d-4d0c-93c7-5b98de0e54df" url="https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/2070401926970142931" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"It's pretty easy, really, I'm just focusing on the present, I'm blocking it all out,"[/b] he recently told reporters.[/p][p][b]"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."[/b][/p][h2]Easy to see why Man City want Anderson[/h2][p]Thomas Tuchel will be delighted to hear it, as Anderson is fast becoming one of the Three Lions' most important players.[/p][p]It's easy to understand why City would want to sign him, too.[/p][image alt="Elliot Anderson radar graphic - Premier League 2025/26" id="963fd60f-c6c3-4a9d-9f99-77d63e4ce647" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="17f33957-6ad5-4585-b1a5-ea3815c8d3a7" original-width="768" original-height="576" /][p]Ostensibly seen as the replacement for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/silva-bernardo/lUg03qcR/"]Bernardo Silva[/a], though Anderson is a completely different type of player, his skill set alongside [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rodri/K0G8DB00/"]Rodri[/a] - assuming the Spaniard doesn't join Silva at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real Madrid[/a], as has been rumoured - will ensure that City's midfield will prove to be one of the toughest to get through in the Premier League.[/p][p]Both Anderson and Rodri like to get forward, and both are brilliant in the defensive aspects of the game too.[/p][p]Last season for Forest, the England man played in every league game for the club, and made 50 appearances across all competitions, 45 of them as a starter.[/p][p]A cumulative 4,166 minutes played was evidence enough of his importance to the side in their attempt to avoid the drop into the Championship, with only [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/williams-neco/YVxu86Hs/"]Neco Williams[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/milenkovic-nikola/xAEQS3wr/"]Nikola Milenkovic[/a] enjoying more minutes on the pitch.[/p][h2]Passing excellence[/h2][image alt="Elliot Anderson's pass map - Premier League 2025/26" id="699e4b99-de3b-4a2c-8348-b90513fceb56" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="67bc99ab-b90a-42f4-9cbf-f3f9da8407c0" original-width="768" original-height="576" /][p]With 3,021 passes attempted, Anderson was streets ahead of any other player in 2025/26, and when one considers that Milenkovic's total of 2,118 was the closest to his, it gives some perspective on the former's industry and willingness to make things happen.[/p][p]Rodri was Man City's third busiest exponent in terms of total passes, but he couldn't compete with Anderson, managing a meagre total of 2,421 by comparison.[/p][p]Even Silva's 2,632 was some way off the Forest man, though both City aces had a higher completion percentage - 90.67% and 90.54% respectively.[/p][p]2,599 passes completed gave Anderson a more than acceptable 86.03% pass completion stat, and whilst Ibrahim Sangare was one to surpass that (87.37%), it has to be borne in mind that the latter's total passes were only just over half of those which Anderson attempted (1,552).[/p][h2]Fabulous all-round stats[/h2][p]95 crosses attempted once the 23-year-old got forward came with a success rate of 27.37%, the best return in the Forest squad, whilst his 110 corners taken, by far the most in the team, saw the midfielder post a 25.91% accuracy, again the best of any Tricky Trees player.[/p][image alt="Elliot Anderson attacking carries - Premier League 2025/26" id="5dcbee2b-2b0a-4f13-bb40-e68ca9f5d272" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="5729910c-3a83-49e5-901d-da18f027640c" original-width="768" original-height="576" /][p]It also won't surprise anyone that Anderson's 676 one-on-one duels attempted was another best-in-class showing, and his 55.47% success was bettered only by Milenkovic (65.54%), who had attempted less than half of his colleagues' total duels (296).[/p][p]377 ball recoveries were embarrassingly well ahead of anyone else in the Forest squad, and despite only being 5 ft 10 inches tall, he still managed to attempt 126 headed duels (winning 74), making him one of only five players to break the century mark in this regard.[/p][p]A tackle success rate of 59.84 was laudable, despite being at the lower end in squad terms; however, Anderson's 127 tackles attempted were only slightly bettered by Neco Williams' 135. The nearest player to them in terms of attempted tackles was Sangare's 85, more than 40 behind the pair.[/p][p]53 interceptions were again only behind Williams, whilst four goals and five assists saw Anderson as the squad's fifth-best in terms of goal contributions.[/p][p]Figures that really do speak of a player who can do it all.[/p][h2]£130m could be seen as a bargain in due course[/h2][embed guid="fdef4681-5619-43b5-972f-34827b9f1cf7" url="https://x.com/elljanderson/status/1964429926745973247" social-type="twitter" /][p]Whilst Silva was dogged and determined for City, and supplemented this with the silky skills that remain the one thing which Anderson doesn't really possess, the Portuguese's all-round game can't really be compared to that of his contemporary.[/p][p]In a team such as City, where every player, whether a starter or a sub, is of the highest quality, Anderson will only get better and better.[/p][p]He's still around four to five years away from his supposed peak, too, so for anyone wondering whether he's likely to be worth the spend, they already have their answer.[/p][infobox id="8a8311c3-81b3-440e-8b49-36091db073d1" /]