---
title: "Ryan Giggs held secret talks to stop £116m star from joining Manchester City"
canonical: "https://readmanutd.com/2026/08/10/ryan-giggs-held-secret-talks-to-stop-116m-star-from-joining-manchester-city/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "James Chettle"
section: "Man Utd News"
published: "2026-08-10T17:45:00Z"
modified: "2026-08-10T17:45:00Z"
---

# Ryan Giggs held secret talks to stop £116m star from joining Manchester City

**Ryan Giggs made a personal attempt to convince Elliot Anderson to join Manchester United before the England midfielder completed his £116million move to rivals Manchester City.**

United had targeted Anderson extensively during the early stages of the summer window before City eventually won the race for the Nottingham Forest star.

Former United defender Phil Bardsley has now revealed that he and Giggs unexpectedly encountered Anderson while playing golf in Portugal earlier this summer. The pair used the opportunity to make one final pitch for Old Trafford while the midfielder was still considering his options.

[Speaking to Casinolyze, via the Manchester Evening News](https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/man-united-elliot-anderson-city-34431782), Bardsley said: “We saw Anderson on the golf course and had a chat with him to try and persuade him to join United.”

> Phil Bardsley: "I was in Portugal earlier in the summer playing golf with \[Ryan\] Giggs and we saw \[Elliot\] Anderson on the golf course and had a chat with him to try and persuade him to join \[Manchester\] United…" \[via [@GoalNews](https://x.com/GoalNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)\] [pic.twitter.com/ZSWdSLzrFI](https://t.co/ZSWdSLzrFI)
>
> — City Xtra (@City\_Xtra) [August 10, 2026](https://x.com/City_Xtra/status/2086855431385649529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

## Ryan Giggs made late Man Utd pitch to Elliot Anderson

Bardsley says Anderson had not yet reached a final decision when the conversation took place, despite City ultimately emerging as the favourites for his signature.

“He was still unsure what he wanted to do,” the former United defender added.

The intervention was unsuccessful. City eventually agreed a **£116m deal** with Nottingham Forest for Anderson, bringing an end to a transfer race which United had been involved in for several months.

ReadManUtd had followed that pursuit throughout the summer, with [City eventually forcing United to change their midfield plans after reaching an agreement for Anderson](https://readmanutd.com/2026/06/26/man-utd-elliot-anderson-city-agreement-pivot/).

Michael Carrick’s squad has since evolved considerably. Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos have arrived to strengthen the midfield, while United are continuing to assess whether another significant addition is required before the window closes.

[ReadManUtd reported earlier today that United have revived their interest in Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton](https://readmanutd.com/2026/08/10/man-utd-make-major-adam-wharton-u-turn-after-fresh-chelsea-move/), with Chelsea and Real Madrid also monitoring the England international.

Bardsley also questioned whether City were right to spend more than £100m on Anderson, arguing he would expect greater attacking output from a player commanding such a substantial fee.

United ultimately chose not to match City’s investment, but the revelation from Portugal provides an intriguing glimpse into how close Anderson came to having another major decision to make.

Giggs and Bardsley may not have been acting on United’s behalf, but two former Old Trafford players clearly believed Anderson was worth one final attempt.