Manchester City have agreed terms to sign 23-year-old midfielder Elliot Anderson in a transfer that sets new club and British records. The fee places Anderson among the most expensive moves in the game, with only Alexander Isak’s move to Liverpool last summer and the amounts Paris Saint-Germain paid for Kylian Mbappé and Neymar Jr. exceeding what City have spent to secure the England international.

Nottingham Forest initially rejected City’s opening offer, but City persisted and ultimately exceeded the $137.5 million (£105 million) Arsenal paid for Declan Rice three summers ago to land Anderson. The midfielder is currently away with England at the 2026 World Cup and is expected to travel to the U.S. for a physical before completing paperwork. Agreeing on personal terms isn’t expected to be a huge hurdle, per The Athletic.

City identified Anderson as a top summer priority. He is described as a modern, all-action midfielder who contributes across all phases of play and is a proven Premier League quality talent. In a crowded midfield market that includes Sandro Tonali and Adam Wharton, the 23-year-old former Forest man has emerged as the standout option.

“He’s a top player,” England manager Thomas Tuchel said about Anderson, via Sky Sports . “There’s nothing more to say, he’s the full package. I’m happy that he’s with us on that kind of level and he’s a key player for us.”

Manchester City view Anderson as a natural successor to Rodri in the centre of midfield. Rodri remains at the club but has turned 30, has been hampered by injuries over the last two seasons and has been linked with a potential departure. Anderson is more than six years younger and comes into the move after a campaign in which he played every Premier League match for Forest, starting all but one.

Further activity is expected from City before the summer window closes. The club’s immediate priority off the pitch is to finalise the appointment of Enzo Maresca as Pep Guardiola’s successor, with City reportedly close to agreeing compensation with Chelsea. On the transfer front they will again look to strengthen at right back and on the wing, with Tino Livramento among the names linked as a potential target.

The U.S. men’s national team is not the richest side at the 2026 World Cup, but several members of the squad nonetheless commanded substantial income in 2025–26. Sportico’s analysis of club pay, international bonuses and commercial revenue shows clear differences among the top earners.

Christian Pulisic stands out. While he earns just over $6 million per year with his Italian club, AC Milan, his total on-field earnings rise to $7.5 million, according to reported estimates. It is the commercial avenues off the field where he makes most of his money, bringing in $20 million over the last year.

Weston McKennie emerged as one of the highest earners in the squad during 2025–26. Sportico estimates he earned $7 million on the field and $8 million off it, for a total of $15 million before the World Cup.

Tim Weah’s reported on-field pay was $6 million for his season with Marseille, supplemented by off-field partnerships including New Balance. The 26-year-old has used that income to join an ownership group for USL side Brooklyn FC.

Midfielder Tyler Adams, a Premier League regular with Bournemouth in 2025–26, earned an estimated $5.5 million on the pitch and $1.5 million off it. He also holds an ownership stake in USL side Westchester SC. A 26-year-old Crystal Palace center back made $5 million with his club and added about $2.5 million through commercial deals; he has invested in Birmingham Legion FC.

Players stand to add to their earnings with a deep run at the World Cup, but U.S. men will split half of their World Cup bonus with players in the U.S. women’s national team pool. Next year, the USMNT players will also earn half of what the USWNT earns during their 2027 World Cup campaign. That arrangement, which the draft links to a 2022 collective bargaining agreement between the USMNT, USWNT and U.S. Soccer, leaves the World Cup less of a standalone cash incentive than it is for many other nations.

Declan Rice and William Saliba have both confirmed lingering injuries that carried from the Premier League season into the 2026 World Cup, underlining concerns about the demands on players at elite clubs.

Rice disclosed an ongoing hamstring issue after a heavy campaign with Arsenal and a quick turn to international duty in North America. “I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring, which I was managing from after Christmas with Arsenal for a very long time,” he told ITV Sport. “Obviously, not a lot of people would have known that. It was all behind-the-scenes stuff but it was a smart decision.” Thomas Tuchel managed Rice’s minutes in England’s opener, taking the 27-year-old out of the match after 72 minutes. Rice said the substitution was prudent. “In the end, that last 20 minutes is probably where you pick up the most, and it’s where you play a 70-minute match. But that last 20 is where you really feel your body going for it. And I think it was a smart decision because the last few days I felt really, really good.” He added that he is “ready and fit, raring to go” for his country.

Saliba admitted he is not at full fitness but is playing through discomfort as France pursue another title. “I’ve had some minor niggles for several months,” Saliba said in his prematch press conference for Les Bleus’ clash with Iraq. “I’ve been gritting my teeth because there was the Champions League and the Premier League. But the coaching staff are handling it very well,” he continued. Reports have suggested a potential back operation could be considered after the tournament. Saliba, 25, played at least 50 times for Arsenal for a third straight season and featured the full 90 minutes in France’s 3–1 win over Senegal.

Rice highlighted the cumulative toll: he played 63 matches last season for club and country and could add eight more if England reach the final. “It’s an obscene amount of games,” Rice said. “The schedule was crazy but what can we do about it? You can’t sit and complain. We have to just get on with it for the moments like I had in the Premier League, winning that Premier League.

“You know you’d play as many games as possible to have that feeling again and knowing that there’s a World Cup at the end of it as well. You know you’d put your body on the line to be always in to play. It’s a lot of games but we’ll get our break at the end.”