Enzo Maresca will love working with Elliot Anderson at Manchester City, according to his former coach. The Blues have agreed a deal with Nottingham Forest for £116m and the midfielder is expected to complete his move after a medical in the coming days.

Ange Postecoglou spent a brief period working with Anderson at Forest last season and was seriously impressed by a player that he believes can still get significantly better. While the former Newcastle youngster has a fixed role for England, Postecoglou has seen Anderson show what he can offer across the midfield.

“He’s outstanding,” Postecoglou told ITV. “From the outside you know there’s a talented player but when you work with him on a daily basis you realise that he’s got two or three levels in him still. He’s very, very focused as a young player, he can probably play every midfield position in a three.

“I think England suits him with a fixed position. At Forest he was trying to do everything at times because he has that capability. From the moment he got into the England set-up, he’s been really disciplined. Thomas Tuchel really trusts him and when you gain the trust of a manager, especially at international level… and he’s made a big move now to City. He’s definitely an Enzo Maresca player, he will love having him in that group.”

Anderson has already impressed City royalty in Ilkay Gundogan, although the Galatasaray midfielder does not believe that the 23-year-old will arrive at the Etihad as a superstar despite the premium price. Gundogan picked out Anderson’s performances against City last season in what was a breakthrough year for the player.

“I think he has proven it, especially last season with Nottingham Forest,” he told ESPN. “He played an incredible season, he had some outstanding performances – also against City – and he had a quite impressive development over the years. I’m quite sure that he will make a great addition to the City squad.

“I wouldn’t say he’s the big name. He’s someone that everyone knows but I don’t think that they’re signing him as a superstar, they are signing him as a team player. He’s expensive but this is the Premier League, where the best play. It’s quite normal now. The sums are still huge or sound huge but it’s now the market.

“People pay it and they have to pay it for a certain quality. I’m quite sure that the people in Manchester will be very happy because when you watch him play you feel like it is someone that sacrifices everything for the team and that’s what you want to have as a teammate.”