Manchester City's £116m move for Elliot Anderson briefly made him the most expensive British player in history, but the transfer also came with a neat little rivalry twist. Phil Bardsley says he and Ryan Giggs bumped into Anderson on a golf course in Portugal earlier in the summer and tried to persuade him to join Manchester United. Anderson's own account makes the destination part look settled once City stepped in.
The Portugal meeting
Bardsley told Metro that he and Giggs saw Anderson on the golf course and had a chat with him about United. “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,” he said.
Anderson's response was about clarity rather than hesitation. “As soon as I knew [City] wanted me, I was absolutely determined to make this move happen,” he said. He also described City as “winners” and “relentless”, the kind of team he wanted to be part of.
City was the move he wanted
That is the part that matters most here. The United pitch happened, but the player at the centre of it says the decision had already swung toward City once their interest was firm. Bardsley also said he had reached the point where Anderson would be £100m plus and he did not feel comfortable about United going to that price.
The fee underlines why. Anderson's £116m move is the key number in the story, and it came after a season in which he made 8 appearances, played 658 minutes and posted a 7.11 average rating. He also featured in all of England's games as they reached the World Cup semi-finals.
For City, that is a serious outlay on a player who already looks trusted in big matches. For United, it is another case of a local pitch not matching the market price. The golf course story is the memorable detail, but the cleaner read is that Anderson wanted City as soon as they were in the frame.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
