Enzo Maresca's record-breaking opening act

Pull up a stool, grab a cold pint, and let's talk about the absolute circus that has become the Premier League transfer market. If you thought Manchester City would take a breath, count their trophies, and ease into the post-Pep Guardiola era, you have been huffing too much paint. Enzo Maresca hasn't even unpacked his bags in Manchester and he is already signing off on a transfer that will make your eyes bleed.

Yes, it is official. The medical is done. On Sunday, June 28, Elliot Anderson was given special permission by Thomas Tuchel and the England camp to undergo his physical in the United States.

He passed with flying colors. A £116m deal has been struck with Nottingham Forest.

Let that number sink in. One hundred and sixteen million pounds for Elliot Anderson. This is the same kid Newcastle had to bin off to balance their PSR sheets not that long ago.

This isn't just a transfer; it is a statement of absolute financial lunacy. City have blown past their own transfer record.

They previously paid Aston Villa £100m for Jack Grealish back in 2021. Now, they are dropping an extra sixteen million on a midfielder who has had one decent season under his belt at the City Ground.

It is the kind of aggressive overpay that usually happens in a late-night eBay bidding war after four tequila shots. We are talking about a manager who got Leicester promoted and suddenly thinks he is playing FIFA Career Mode with infinite money.

You don't replace Pep Guardiola by going to Nottingham Forest and paying their mortgage for the next ten years. You do it by building on what is already there.

Anderson is a fine player, don't get me wrong. But this is Declan Rice money or Jude Bellingham money. Anderson has not done anything in his career yet to suggest he belongs in that bracket of player.

Maresca is replacing Guardiola after ten trophy-laden years. He wants a specific profile for his midfield, and Anderson is apparently the chosen one.

But let's be real. This feels like buying a gold-plated Rolex when you don't even know how to tell time yet. It is a massive roll of the dice for a manager who has yet to take charge of a single training session at the Etihad.

The timeline of this madness

How did we get here? It started back on June 10, when City made their first real move. As reports filtered out, they slapped an offer on the table worth up to £120m, but it was structured with £106m fixed and the rest in add-ons.

Forest looked at that, laughed, and rejected it. They were holding out for a fixed fee that would eclipse the British record.

Remember, Liverpool spent £125m to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle last summer. Forest wanted to top that mark.

City initially blinked, but they eventually found a compromise. On June 24, reports emerged that City was edging closer to the player, with further talks scheduled over the next 24 hours.

The momentum was building, and both sides knew they wanted to get it done before the World Cup knockouts. On June 25, the breakthrough came.

Sky Sports News reporters Keith Downie, Anton Toloui, Rob Dorsett, and Lyall Thomas broke the news that the clubs had agreed to a flat £116m fee. Personal terms were never going to be an issue.

The only roadblock was finding a slot for the medical. Anderson was busy playing in the 2026 World Cup for England.

He started in their first two group stage matches and was preparing for the final Group L game against Panama. On Saturday night, Anderson helped England dismantle Panama 2-0 to secure their spot at the top of the group.

England manager Thomas Tuchel was practically drooling when asked about his young midfielder after the match. As Sky Sports reported, Tuchel expected the deal to be wrapped up quickly.

"I think there's a high chance it's sorted before the round of 32. He plays like he owns the place. There were no concerns, the medical staff gave the green light, he has no injury."

Tuchel gave the green light, England granted dispensation, and the medical was completed in the US on Sunday. The deal is effectively done.

Ben Ransom of Sky Sports News confirmed the medical was passed on June 29. The official announcement is now just a matter of paperwork, based on the latest updates from Ben Ransom.

How Nottingham Forest turned a transfer into a heist

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is probably doing cartwheels down the Trent. They bought Anderson to help keep them afloat, and now they are flipping him for a king's ransom. This is the heist of the century.

Usually, when a club loses its best midfielder, the fans are crying in their beer. Not Forest fans. They are already planning how to spend the loot.

According to the Nottingham Forest transfer tracker, the club plans to sign at least two new midfielders to replace Anderson.

They have their eyes on Tottenham's Lucas Bergvall and Inter Milan's Davide Frattesi. Inter wants about £25.9m for Frattesi, which is basically pocket change for Forest now.

Forest's transfer committee has compiled a wishlist to fill the void, and they are moving quickly. Their target list includes:

  • Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who is viewed as a high-potential loan or permanent option.
  • Inter Milan star Davide Frattesi, who remains a long-standing target from the winter window.
  • Celtic midfielder Arne Engels, another target they have been chasing since January.

They tried to land both Frattesi and Engels back in January, but now they actually have the cash to get it done. This is how you run a smart football club.

You sell high, reinvest in depth, and keep moving. And they aren't stopping there.

Forest are keeping their core together. They are blocking all offers for Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Nikola Milenkovic. Murillo just signed a new contract, meaning their defensive rock is locked down.

Of course, it isn't all sunshine in Nottingham. They are losing Stefan Ortega and Angus Gunn on free transfers, and veteran Willy Boly is walking out the door too. Nicolo Savona might head to Atalanta on loan.

But when you have £116m in your back pocket, replacing squad depth is a breeze. Forest's recruitment team has also identified the need for defensive reinforcements.

Goalkeeper John Victor and defender Morato are both linked with moves away. To cover those potential exits, the club has prioritized signing a new goalkeeper and a central defender.

They might even cash in on Taiwo Awoniyi or James McAtee if suitable offers land on their desk. McAtee, who moved to the City Ground last summer, has attracted plenty of interest.

Is Anderson actually worth the hype?

Let's address the elephant in the room. Is Elliot Anderson a £116m player? Not in this universe.

Anderson is 23 years old. He is a neat, tidy midfielder who can press, carry the ball, and make smart decisions.

He is also a player who scored how many goals last year? Not enough to justify this price tag, that is for sure. If you are paying £116m for a player, they need to be a franchise-altering superstar.

They need to be Jude Bellingham, or prime Kevin De Bruyne, or Kylian Mbappe. They shouldn't be a guy who is going to spend half his weekends rotating with Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes.

This is the ultimate gamble for Maresca. If Anderson struggles, this contract will hang around Maresca's neck like a concrete block in the Manchester Ship Canal.

Maresca is trying to run Pep's old machine on a £116m prospect. Good luck with that.

If this transfer goes south, it will be remembered as the moment City's dominance began to crack. If it works, Maresca looks like a genius.

But right now, at this exact moment, it feels like the sports bar is about to close and City just bought the most expensive, unnecessary drink in the house.