Elliot Anderson: Manchester City’s Rodri or Bernardo Silva replacement? | OneFootball

With club captain Bernardo Silva departing Manchester City following a paramount nine-season stay, the ever-adapting role vacated by the Portuguese is now open.

The 31-year-old was an integral part of Pep Guardiola’s systems throughout his tenure as City manager, with the Etihad Stadium’s soon-to-be boss Enzo Maresca tasked with finding an adequate replacement for the midfield star.

Alongside Bernardo Silva, Manchester City’s Ballon D’or winner Rodri is also attracting transfer interest from Real Madrid, following the announcement of Pep Guardiola’s departure and as the midfielder enters the final year of his contract.

With the Spaniard still at risk of following his fellow midfield partner out of the door this summer, it puts serious pressure on Maresca and Manchester City’s recruitment staff – led by sporting director Hugo Viana – to find suitable successors.

One name that has been heavily mentioned since the beginning of 2026 is Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, with the 23-year-old being one of the standout candidates in the engine room throughout the most-recent campaign.

His performances over the season have been rewarded with seven senior England caps, alongside a place on Thomas Tuchel’s plane for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in North America.

Manchester City’s long-standing interest has recently been sparked by the departure of their captain, with Nottingham Forest holding out for at least £105 million – the price Arsenal paid West Ham United for Declan Rice’s services in 2023.

Why Man City are hunting Elliot Anderson?

Elliot Anderson offers significant quality in both attacking and defensive areas, where consistent high levels of energy help him thrive to support his side of the process.

The 23-year-old excels in-between lines, offering quality on the ball and progressing play from deeper areas of the pitch, and following the departure of Bernardo Silva, Manchester City’s options in deeper areas will be depleted and missing his continuous energy levels.

As such, acquiring a midfield talent like Elliot Anderson will certainly help fill this precise gap, providing the club with a deeper lying midfielder for the next generation.

Anderson’s impressive Premier League campaign of 2025/26 is backed up by metrics, topping the league for duels won, touches, successful dribbles, defensive contributions and recoveries for midfielders.

Another essential attribute the former Newcastle United man could provide for Manchester City is his availability, particularly with Rodri missing substantial parts of both 2024 and 2025.

Alongside his high ceiling and exceptional statistics, Elliot Anderson also offers a place as a homegrown player, helping Manchester City to fulfil Premier League squad regulations, alongside the likes of Phil Foden, James Trafford and Nico O’Reilly.

With Premier League experience already under his belt, it looks to be a relatively low-risk transfer for the Englishman, helping him to take his talent to the next level in further European and Premier League competition.

Bernardo Silva or Rodri – Who does Anderson replicate?

Whilst Elliot Anderson may look to be the more defensive option compared to the departed Manchester City captain, their play-styles align significantly.

The two players offer high energy and optimal levels of pressing – something that has been synonymous with Bernardo Silva particularly when playing in midfield. Like the Portugal international, Anderson is also impressive when receiving, retaining and progressing the ball – key attributes when working in a Pep Guardiola or more significantly, an Enzo Maresca side.

With the consistent intensity and physical demands of the Premier League, ensuring the midfield comprises of a player who can provide defensive and attacking comfort will be essential when controlling games in a possession-based Maresca system.

As in comparison to Rodri, the Englishman provides consistent defensive capabilities, ranking in the top five per cent for most defensive metrics for defensive midfield players in the English top-flight.

The 23-year-old’s mobility, energy and agility makes him less of a Rodri replacement – with the pair providing different skill-sets for the City team – and likely a crucial reason why those within the Etihad Stadium are demanding Elliot Anderson makes the move this summer.

The signing of Anderson can help guide City’s midfield alongside Rayan Cherki, Foden, and the versatile Nico O’Reilly into the new generation of the Premier League, pushing Manchester City to return back to top-flight and European glory.