Quansah backs Anderson to 'go right to the top' as £116m Man City move edges closer

Manchester City have agreed a £116m fee with Nottingham Forest for Elliot Anderson, a deal that would shatter the British transfer record and eclipse the £100m City paid for Jack Grealish in 2021. Reports of Anderson undergoing a medical in New York on Friday are premature, with a date yet to be confirmed — though it is expected to follow the completion of the World Cup group stage.

England international Jarell Quansah was quick to back his international teammate after the news broke on Thursday night, insisting the transfer talk has done nothing to distract Anderson from England’s World Cup ambitions.

“I see a player that’s fully focused on what he wants, and I think at the moment what he wants is to win a World Cup,” the Bayer Leverkusen defender said. “That ultimately is the goal. Obviously I’m not in his head or whatnot, but I’m sure he is fully focused on winning the World Cup for England, and you can’t drift too far away from that and he knows that. But he’s a proper focused young lad and he’ll go right to the top, I think.”

Quansah was speaking ahead of England’s final World Cup group stage game against Panama on Saturday, and went on to outline why he believes Anderson will thrive at the Etihad.

“I think he’s a very versatile player as well,” he added. “This season he’s played a deeper role, played in a sort of a six and sometimes an eight, but he’s got probably everything you want as a midfielder, to be honest.”

The defender also revealed he had been aware of Anderson’s talent for some time, having followed his progress after joining Bristol Rovers — a club where Anderson had previously spent time on loan.

“I remember hearing about him at Bristol Rovers when I went on loan there afterwards and I think he was playing on the wing,” Quansah said. “Knowing he can do that and what he does in training sessions as well, he’s got a lot of attributes that are really good for an England squad and exactly what the manager wants, which is good.”

Should the deal be formally completed, Anderson’s move to City will represent one of the most significant transfers in Premier League history, underlining Pep Guardiola’s determination to reshape his midfield.