Ryan Giggs ‘told Elliot Anderson to join Man Utd’ before England World Cup ace’s £116m City move.. and dig at Red Devils

MANCHESTER UNITED legend Ryan Giggs tried to convince Elliot Anderson to head to Old Trafford before seeing the World Cup star join arch-rivals Manchester City. The England midfielder, 23, sealed a record-breaking £116MILLION move to the Etihad Stadium last month. Elliot Anderson made a big-money move to Manchester City this summer Credit: Manchester City FC Ryan Giggs tried to persuade the midfielder to join Manchester United instead Credit: Rex Anderson then aimed a brutal dig at United by claiming he had been recruited by the ‘Kings of Manchester’. But Giggs, 52, urged the ex-Nottingham Forest man to choose the Red Devils. Sign up for the Man United newsletter Thank you! The United icon and former team-mate Phil Bardsley bumped into Anderson on a Portuguese golf course earlier this summer. But the Old Trafford target, who passed his City medical while at the World Cup, could not be persuaded into a U-turn. And Bardsley now reckons United were right not to gazump their fierce foes. He told Casinolyze: “I think Manchester City certainly overpaid for Elliot Anderson. “I knew it was getting to a stage where he’d be £100m plus and I just didn’t feel comfortable about going to that sort of price for him as a player. “He’s outstanding. I really like him. I was in Portugal earlier in the summer playing golf with Ryan Giggs and we saw Anderson on the golf course and had a chat with him to try and persuade him to join United. Most read in Sport SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS Phil Bardsley (right) reckons City overpaid for Anderson Credit: Getty “He was still unsure what he wanted to do but north of £100m for a defensive midfielder like him? “If I’m spending that money, I want a player who will add 30-40 goals to my team a season.” Bardsley, 41, feels United struck a better deal by triggering Youri Tielemans’ £35m release clause at Aston Villa. He added: “Compare that sum [for Anderson] to what was paid for Tielemans and it’s a steal. Bardsley has hailed United’s deal for Youri Tielemans Credit: Getty “He’s a proven Premier League player, he’s captain of Belgium, he can deliver and he’s won trophies. He won the Europa League with Aston Villa last season. “He brings an element of calm and real class on the ball, but he’s also not afraid to get stuck into the ugly side of the game. I’ve been really impressed with the deal.” Comment now