Phil Foden and Mateo Kovacic send key Manchester City transfer message to Hugo Viana | OneFootball

Phil Foden and Mateo Kovacic have praised Manchester City’s record signing Elliot Anderson as a solid addition to Enzo Maresca’s ranks.

Anderson joined Manchester City from Nottingham Forest in July in a deal worth £116 million, marking the centrepiece of director of football Hugo Viana‘s ongoing rebuild at the Etihad Stadium.

The England international remains on post-World Cup rest following England’s third-place finish at the FIFA World Cup, with the midfielder expected to link up with the squad in Manchester in a few weeks.

Foden and Kovacic on Anderson: A great signing, really excited to have him at the club!

Speaking ahead of the K-League All Stars fixture, Foden was characteristically enthusiastic about what Anderson will add to the team around him.

“Really excited to have him at the club!” said Foden. “When I’ve watched him or played against him, he likes to find the number 10 and wrap balls through the lines – and I think that suits me really well. I’m excited to play with him, and I can’t wait!”

Mateo Kovacic, speaking to BBC Sport’s Shamoon Hafez, added: “A lot of quality, a lot of physicality, he’s capable of running a lot, good on the ball, good off the ball. He’s young so he can improve a lot still at Man City, and I think it’s a great signing for us.”

Manchester City’s summer transfer window so far

Anderson remains Manchester City’s most significant piece of incoming business this summer, completing a move that underlined the scale of ambition underpinning Enzo Maresca’s first summer in charge.

The 23-year-old impressed during England’s run to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup in North America before completing the administrative formalities of his move in Manchester before he was given three weeks off by Maresca ahead of the 2026-27 season.

The deal was salvaged at a critical moment by CEO Ferran Soriano, who stepped in personally after Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis had been minded to walk away from negotiations – with the eventual agreement reached between Soriano, Marinakis and Anderson’s agent David Manasseh, bypassing the clubs’ sporting directors to conclude a deal that had come close to collapsing entirely.

Beyond Anderson, Geronimo Rulli is close to joining from Marseille as backup goalkeeper, while discussions over further additions in the wide attacking and midfield positions continue – with the pursuit of Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille and fresh contact with Pedro Neto’s camp among the active threads still being worked through before the window closes.