By Graham Ruthven
During a chat with former Manchester City teammate John Stones, as Norway waited to hear whether or not their second goal against England would stand, Erling Haaland could clearly be seen referring to a “£150m player”. The player in question is of course Elliot Anderson.
In the end, Haaland was judged to have pushed Anderson before the corner which put Norway up 2-1. The City striker returned home on Monday after missing out on a semi-final place while the ‘£150m player’ in question prepares to face Argentina on Wednesday.
Of course, Haaland exaggerated the fee Manchester City paid to sign Anderson from Nottingham Forest with the 23-year-old swapping clubs for a reported £116 million. Still, it’s an amount that will put a target on Anderson’s back. It’s not just his new teammates who are debating the money involved.
Once the World Cup is over, Anderson will turn up at the Etihad Stadium as the third most expensive signing in Premier League history, behind Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz. City broke their club transfer record to sign the England international who was also of interest to several other rivals, including Manchester United.
They were right to be interested, and Manchester City were right to break the bank to sign him. Anderson’s performances for England at the World Cup demonstrated how the 23-year-old is more than ready for the elite level. He was signed to be the centerpiece of Enzo Maresca’s new look City.
No England midfielder has averaged more accurate passes per 90 minutes at the 2026 World Cup than Anderson. Deployed at the base of midfield, Thomas Tuchel entrusted the former Forest player with the role of leading England. The player who dictates the tempo and direction of his game.
Declan Rice was this player in previous tournaments. With Anderson in the squad, however, the Arsenal man has been freed up to play the number eight role he plays so well at club level. Anderson has given England more security in the center of the pitch, and not just in terms of working in possession.
Out of possession, Anderson is also a machine. Against Norway he covered 14.8km, more than any other England player, in sweltering conditions. Only Djed Spence has racked up more defensive contributions per 90 during the World Cup as a whole, giving England an extremely valuable barrier in front of the back four.
“It was so hard. So hard,” Anderson said after the quarterfinal victory over Norway. Without the 23-year-old in the center of the field, England might not have had the courage to appear in just their fourth World Cup semi-final. “I had cramps several times [in extra time]. But the fighting spirit of the guys is incredible. The fans should be proud of the fight and determination we showed.
All of this should make Manchester City’s decision-makers feel very positive about the transfer they sanctioned earlier this month. Anderson is perfect for the team at the Etihad Stadium, especially as they move from the Pep Guardiola era to a fresh start under Maresca this season.
Some wonder how Anderson and Rodri will fit into the same team. It is true that Anderson’s role in his new team could be slightly different to the one he plays at international level for England in that the 23-year-old could be used more as a number eight than a number six.
Alternatively, Anderson could succeed Rodri at the base of Manchester City’s midfield in anticipation of the Spain international’s upcoming departure from the club. Rodri is in the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium and is linked with a return to Spain. Real Madrid would be particularly interested.
One way or another, City will surely build around Anderson in the years to come. Their rebuild began 18 months ago with the addition of players such as Omar Marmoush and Abdukodir Khusanov and continued last summer with the arrival of Rayan Cherki and Gianluigi Donnarumma. Marc Guéhi and Antoine Semenyo also joined him in January.
City, however, were missing someone of Anderson’s profile. Someone who will allow Maresca to place even more emphasis on the use of possession and how Manchester City build deep possession sequences. Having Anderson serving Cherki, Semenyo, Jérémy Doku and Erling Haaland will make it a better team.
Before joining his new club, Anderson must manage the not-so-small affair of a World Cup semi-final, and potentially a final thereafter. Argentina will test England like no other team has this summer. The ‘£150m player’ has already proven himself at this level, however. He has nothing to fear.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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