Ryan Giggs has said he tried to persuade Elliot Anderson to sign for Manchester United this summer after a chance meeting on the golf course in Portugal
Ryan Giggs says he tried to convince Elliot Anderson to sign for Manchester United this summer.
Ryan Giggs says he tried to convince Elliot Anderson to sign for Manchester United this summer.(Image: Rio Ferdinand Presents)
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Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs says he 'peppered' Elliot Anderson to try and get him to move to Old Trafford this summer following a chance encounter on the golf course while on holiday. The England international was reportedly on Michael Carrick's radar during the summer window, but it was Manchester City who ultimately secured his signature.
Giggs claims Anderson told him 'to leave him alone' after the pair bumped into each other in Portugal in the days before the World Cup. City would go on to splash out £116million on the 23-year-old from Nottingham Forest, while United opted to bring in Youri Tielemans, Carlos Baleba and Andrey Santos to strengthen their midfield options.
Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents: The Debrief, Giggs said: "It was literally a few days before he went to the World Cup. I peppered him.
"He didn't know how to take it at first, and then he relaxed a little bit. But for the first four or five holes, we were literally crossing.
"And at the end of it, he went, 'will you just let me, leave me alone. Will you just let me play my golf, please? You're in trouble.'"
Ferdinand added: "That's what I do when I see some players. I don't care. You've got to try all sorts to get these deals over.
"It's mad, though. Obviously, the price tag was crazy. And it's just like astronomical money. And Man United ain't got the budget to pay for that."
United would however, splash out a reported £155m on the aforementioned midfield trio in a bid to strengthen Michael Carrick's squad ahead of the summer transfer deadline.
Elliot Anderson looks on during a Man City game
Elliot Anderson(Image: Molly Darlington)
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"I think we've brought some really good players into the football club, and improved the squad in different ways, individually but collectively," Carrick told Sky Sports when questioned about United's summer transfer activity.
"I think we've grown. You go into the window and when you come out of it, you want to be stronger than you were at the start. I'm convinced we are that.
"Transfer windows are never straightforward and this window in particular has been challenging for different reasons. There's a lot of money being spent in and around the league itself, and I think we've made the most of the situation that we've found ourselves in.
"That's the world we live in. Teams at certain points are going to spend a lot of money. Sometimes it's going to be more than what we spend, sometimes maybe not.
"We've got to make the most of what we can and understand where we're at. I think we're a very good team, we want to keep getting better."
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