Elliot Anderson and Morgan Rogers have each become the most expensive British footballer of all time within the space of a month, with both transfers involving young English midfielders moving to Premier League rivals for over £115m. The pair's rise reflects a broader shift in football, where clubs increasingly prize creative, hard-working central midfielders over traditional out-and-out strikers, and are willing to pay a premium for England-qualified players who satisfy home-grown squad quotas.

Anderson joined Manchester City from Nottingham Forest for £116m after a standout season in which he led the Premier League for touches, duels won and passes completed as a central midfielder, and started nearly every England match as they finished third at the World Cup. Rogers then moved to Chelsea from Aston Villa for £117m, having scored 14 goals and provided 12 assists last season and ranked among Europe's top attacking midfielders for box touches and goal involvements; both players are just 23. With Tottenham having already spent £185m on two midfielders this summer, attention now turns to Bournemouth's Alex Scott, who has already had a £64m Chelsea bid rejected, and Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton as potential next big-money English midfield moves.