Declan Rice lauds Elliot Anderson as “one of the best I’ve played with” as £116M Man City transfer looms

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City Xtra

2 July 2026

Arsenal and England star

Declan Rice

has delivered a glowing tribute to

Elliot Anderson

ahead of the midfielder’s £116 million move to

Manchester City

Rice has been one of the most influential midfielders in European football since completing his own high-profile move to

Arsenal

from West Ham United in 2023 – and his perspective on the pressures and expectations that accompany a record-breaking transfer carries particular weight – given the experiences that have shaped his own career at the top of the game.

Anderson, whose

£116 million move to

from

Nottingham Forest

is in its final stages, has been part of the same England squad as Rice throughout the ongoing

FIFA World Cup

, giving the Arsenal man a close-up look at how the 23-year-old has handled the extraordinary level of scrutiny accompanying one of the summer’s most significant transfers.

Transfer fee, contract length, wage and bonuses: The numbers behind Man City’s record Elliot Anderson capture

That proximity has clearly made an impression on Rice, who sought out Anderson for a personal conversation about the unique challenge of carrying a monumental transfer fee as a young player stepping up to a new level – a challenge Rice knows better than most after his own landmark move from east London to north London.

The endorsement from a player of Rice’s stature adds another layer to a narrative that has already

captured the attention of the football world

, with those who have worked alongside Anderson throughout the World Cup unanimous in their belief that the 23-year-old has the character and quality to justify Manchester City’s record investment.

Speaking to

The Telegraph’s Jason Burt

, Rice said: “We had a great chat, sat outside on beanbags. I just said he can’t control the price he’s going for,” on Anderson’s upcoming club record

move.

“I couldn’t control what I went for. Why he’s going for that price is because he’s been one of the best in Europe this season. If you watch him play, everything goes through him at Forest.

“He’s constantly on the ball, the engine room. I was trying to give him a bit of perspective that the price is just noise. Just do what you’ve been doing and you’ll be just fine.

“He’s such a humble guy, that’s not going to affect him. He just needs to keep doing what he’s doing and he’s going to be a real success – I believe he’s one of the best I’ve played with.”

Why Elliot Anderson’s Manchester City transfer announcement has been pushed back

The directness of that final assessment – from a player who has shared a midfield with some of the most gifted footballers of his generation – is perhaps the most compelling endorsement Anderson has yet received as he prepares to begin life at the Etihad Stadium under new manager

Enzo Maresca

The parallels Rice draws between his own move to Arsenal and Anderson’s impending arrival at

are instructive, with both players having been required to carry the burden of a record fee while simultaneously proving themselves in a system that demands collective intelligence as much as individual brilliance.

Rice’s reference to Anderson as “the engine room” of Nottingham Forest speaks directly to the profile that director of football

Hugo Viana

has prioritised in reshaping Manchester City’s midfield this summer – a player capable of dominating possession, driving forward with intensity and operating as the central thread through which the team’s attacking play is built.

Whether Anderson can fulfil the expectations Rice has helped set will only become clear once

Maresca’s first competitive season

begins in earnest – but with endorsements of this quality arriving before the player has even kicked a ball for his new club – the stage is already being set for one of the most eagerly anticipated arrivals in Manchester City’s recent history.

Manchester City confirm record-breaking £116m signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest

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Man City agree record transfer fee with Nottingham Forest for Elliot Anderson

FromTheSpot

Man City confirm deal to sign England star Elliot Anderson for club-record fee

The Independent

Man City confirm agreement for Elliot Anderson

Playmakerstats

Man City confirm Anderson is set to join from Nottingham Forest

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