Stefan Borson reveals the financial reality of 'ridiculous' Man City signing
Manchester City are not to blame for some of the eye-watering transfer fees this summer ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
That is according to former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider that despite the "ridiculous" price paid for Elliot Anderson, it is nothing unusual.
The England international's £116million move away from Nottingham Forest appears to be just the start of a rather expensive summer for Premier League teams.
Tottenham Hotspur have spent a total of £185m on Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, while Chelsea have splashed £40m on Geovany Quenda.
Last summer, Premier League clubs combined spent over £3billion, and while some big deals have all happened this summer, it is impossible to know if a new record will be broken.
Man City's signing of Anderson, however, has triggered claims that the transfer market has been ruined for everyone else, but Borson isn't having any of it.
Elliot Anderson deal 'within range' compared to big-money transfers
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the finance expert shut down these claims, stating that, even with inflation considered, Anderson's transfer doesn't stick out at all.
"Well, it's nonsense.I think the price is absolutely ridiculous. So, don't get me wrong on that. I don't see any justification for why the player has cost that much," he said.
"But it's hardly the first time players have been signed for enormous amounts that people, from the outside, thought were excessive.
"It's happened many times over the years, players without huge pedigrees, without even any Premier League experience being bought and sold for tens of millions going back to 2013, and even earlier.
"So, it's not a new thing. There's a little bit of inflation. But I don't think it's particularly dramatic or beyond the typical inflation.
"If you were to look at inflation-adjusted prices, for example, you would see that Elliott Anderson is well within range and does not stick out."
Where does the signing rank in the Premier League's all-time biggest deals?
Man City have done a huge deal for Anderson just months after Liverpool signed Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak for slightly more.
With inflation taken into account, the deal now ranks 31st in the all-time Premier League list, which is lead by Alan Shearer's move to Newcastle United in 1996.
With inflation considered, Shearer's deal would have been worth £237m in today's market, followed by Rio Ferdinand's move to Manchester United for £198.5m.
It is easy to understand why supporters are frustrated by some of the deals so far this summer, but it is a drop in the water compared to previous transfers.