Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs admitted that he learned for the first time that Sir Alex Ferguson had immediately blocked his potential sale to an elite European club.
Ryan Giggs emerged from the Manchester United youth academy as one of the Premier League club’s beloved ‘Class of ‘92’ in the 1990s at Old Trafford.
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The 51-year-old Welshman broke into the United first-team squad under legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson and became a key mainstay for the Red Devils.
Giggs spent the majority of his United career under Ferguson and hoovered up the major silverware with the Premier League club before his retirement in 2014.
The former Red Devils talent lifted all 13 of the club’s Premier League titles and was a key part of Ferguson’s treble-winning United side in the 1998-99 campaign.
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Wayne Rooney arrives with Ryan Giggs for the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield in 2016 in Liverpool, England.
Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Mark Leech Sports Photography/Getty Images
Man Utd icon Ryan Giggs reveals how he learned about Barcelona’s transfer interest in him for the first time
Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs took part in a live Q&A with an audience at Hotel Football – next to Old Trafford – and opened up about his time at Salford City.
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The former United superstar is the director of football at Salford City and has also played a supporting role for head coach Karl Robinson at the League Two club.
Giggs was spotted alongside Karl Robinson during Salford’s 8-0 thumping defeat at the hands of Manchester City in the third round of the FA Cup at the Etihad.
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“When Salford played Manchester City in the FA Cup third round in January, me and Karl Robinson went in after the game,” he told the audience, as per The Daily Mail.
“We were speaking to Pep Guardiola and a couple of the sporting directors who were originally all at Barcelona together.”
During his time with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and the unnamed sporting directors, United icon Giggs learned of Barcelona’s interest in him in 2000.
“We were chatting for half an hour and as we were leaving one of them said, ‘We tried to sign you [for Barcelona] in 2000,’” he added.
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Sir Alex Ferguson’s reaction to Barcelona’s transfer approach for Man Utd legend Ryan Giggs
Giggs became United’s all-time leading appearance-maker and was widely admired by iconic former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson during his time at Old Trafford.
The end of the former Wales manager’s legendary playing spell at United was spent under David Moyes after Ferguson announced his retirement from football in 2013.
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Reacting to Barcelona’s interest in him in 2000, Giggs responded: “I went, ‘What?’
“And he goes, ‘Yeah, we rang Sir Alex Ferguson up and asked if we can sign Giggs.’”
Ferguson wasted no time shutting down the interest from La Liga side Barcelona and the iconic 83-year-old Scotsman couldn’t have been clearer about his feelings.
Giggs continued: “I said, ‘Well, what did he say?’”
According to Giggs, Ferguson responded to Barcelona by telling them to “’f— off.’”
Giggs, who served as United assistant manager under Louis van Gaal, has been out of management since he stepped down from his role with Wales in 2022.