Elliot Anderson has confirmed that Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs attempted to persuade him against joining Manchester City during a chance encounter on a golfing trip in Portugal earlier this summer. The 23-year-old England international, who completed a club-record £116m move to City last month, revealed the conversation in a meet-and-greet at the club's shop on Wednesday.
Giggs and Bardsley's Persuasion Attempt
Former Manchester United defender Phil Bardsley had earlier disclosed that he and Giggs tried to convince Anderson to choose Old Trafford while on holiday. Anderson, laughing when asked about the meeting, said: 'Yeah, I was just golfing over in Portugal and bumped into a few of them. We had a nice chat and stuff like that but I had a decision to make and I chose City.'
When pressed on whether Giggs and Bardsley came close to changing his mind, Anderson bluntly replied: 'No.' The midfielder's decision was influenced by United's summer spending spree, which saw them prioritize their attack, signing Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo in a £200m overhaul, allowing City to take pole position in the race for his signature.
City's Club-Record Signing
Anderson has signed a five-year contract at the Etihad, keeping him at the eight-time Premier League champions until June 2031. He has not yet featured in pre-season games due to his involvement in the World Cup with England but could make his debut in Sunday's Community Shield clash with Arsenal in Cardiff.
'I'm over the moon. It's my first day of training today and the lads have welcomed me really well,' Anderson told reporters. 'Training went well and I'm just getting to grips with everything. It's good. I had a bit of work with him [Enzo Maresca] today and you can see the detail that he goes in to and I'm really looking forward to that.'
Debut Hopes and Rodri Speculation
On the possibility of featuring at the weekend, Anderson added: 'To have the chance to win a trophy in your first week is quite good so hopefully I can get some minutes there and show what I can do.' He acknowledged the pressure of his price tag, saying: 'I want to show everyone what I can do and try not to focus on that [price tag] too much. But I'm sure over the next season I can show people what I do best.'
Anderson was expected to partner Rodri in midfield, but the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner faces an uncertain future amid reported interest from Barcelona. Anderson commented: 'He's one of the best midfielders in the world and I think anyone would love to play alongside him. I'm not too sure what's happening [with Rodri's future], I'm not getting involved in that, but it will be nice to play with him.'
