Record fee agreed 

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Manchester City are showing no signs of standing still after parting ways with legendary manager Pep Guardiola, with the club already set to break the world record fee for a centre-midfielder. The Sky Blues have reportedly agreed a deal with Nottingham Forest to sign England midfielder Elliot Anderson for a fee in the region of €135 million. This would make the 23 year old not only the most expensive centre-midfielder in Premier League history, but in the entire history of the game. He has a current market value of €75m.

The fee is thought to be a fixed figure with no add-ons and will also make Anderson the most expensive British player in history, as well as setting a new record for City, eclipsing the €117m they paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in 2021. Anderson has been given permission to undertake a medical in New York on Friday, with the deal subject to the finalising of personal terms.

The player is currently with the England squad, who play Panama on Saturday. Anderson joined Forest from Newcastle in a €41m deal in 2023, with the Midlands club set to make a huge profit. He will soon lead the list of the most expensive in his position, but how did the other big-money centre-midfielders before Anderson fare at their new clubs? Let’s take a look.

Most expensive centre-midfielders with Elliot Anderson to take 1st

If the deal gets completed for the expected fee, Anderson will have cost around €14m more than any other centre-midfielder in history at €135m. The current record is held by Argentine Enzo Fernández, who moved from Benfica to Chelsea for €121m in January 2023. Although, he has certainly improved hugely for the Blues, and they may recoup a fair chunk of that if they sold him on this summer, the 24 year old can’t be considered a huge success at such a price – he has a current market value of €90m.

Behind him is Declan Rice, whose €117m transfer from West Ham to Arsenal has without doubt been a astute piece of business, with the midfielder playing a crucial role in bringing the Premier League trophy back to the Emirates. His market value currently stands at €120m. Next is Moisés Caicedo, who moved from Brighton to Chelsea for €116m the same summer as Rice. After a slow start, he has begun to show why the West London club splashed such a high fee and has a current market value of €100m.

In fifth is Paul Pogba, who traded Juventus for Manchester United for €105m back in 2016. He had his ups and downs at Old Trafford, and despite undoubtedly having the talent to warrant such a fee, his inconsistency probably meant it wasn’t justified. he eventually left on a free transfer. The most successful of the top 10 could arguably be eighth-placed Zinédine Zidane, who moved from Juventus to Real Madrid for €78m all the way back in 2001.