Manchester City have shattered the summer's transfer ceiling, paying Nottingham Forest €135 million for midfielder Elliot Anderson in a deal that dwarfs the market valuation of the 21-year-old by almost €67 million.
The fee eclipses Tottenham's €108 million acquisition of Sandro Tonali from Newcastle and signals City's intent to refresh a squad that has dominated English football for the past half-decade. Anderson, who spent last season on loan at Forest before they made the move permanent in January, had been valued at around €68 million by independent assessments, making this one of the steepest premiums paid in recent years.
Spurs lead the spending spree
While City grab the headlines, Tottenham have been the window's most aggressive spenders, securing three players for a combined €267 million. Alongside Tonali, they have brought in West Ham's Mateus Fernandes (€99 million, nearly triple his €34 million valuation) and Brighton centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke for €60 million. All three deals involve significant mark-ups, suggesting a shift in how elite clubs are pricing talent in a market where supply has tightened.
Elsewhere, Barcelona moved for Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon at €80 million, while AC Milan paid €74 million to prise Gonçalo Ramos from Paris Saint-Germain despite a market value closer to €28 million. Liverpool added Rennes midfielder Jérémy Jacquet for €63.6 million, and Aston Villa secured Freiburg forward Johan Manzambi for €60 million.
The pattern is unmistakable: clubs are paying well above perceived value to secure targets early, gambling that form and scarcity will justify the outlay. For City, Anderson represents both a statement and a gamble, one that will be scrutinised from his first touch in sky blue.