Man United winger Giggs begs to stay at Old Trafford

Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs has pleaded with Old Trafford boss Alex Ferguson not to sell him to Inter Milan.

Giggs turned in his best performance of the season on Tuesday to score twice as United romped to a 3-0 win over Juventus in Turin to seal a place in the European Cup quarter-finals with two group games to spare.

But the Welsh star's Old Trafford future is in doubt, amid reports that the club are hoping to sell him in a summer swap deal involving Inter's Brazilian striker Adriano.

The 21-year-old Brazilian is part-owned by Inter, who intend to buy the striker outright at the end of the season.

Reports suggest that United boss Ferguson has already met Parma's general manager Arrigo Sacchi.

And United chief executive, Peter Kenyon, is also thought to have visited Milan on Monday to discuss a possible deal.

Inter president Massimo Moratti has made no secret of his desire to bring Giggs to the San Siro.

But the 29-year-old claims he does not want to go anywhere.

"I am happy at United and I want to stay at this club, I've always said that," he told the Sun newspaper Thursday.

"When you are not playing so well, things like this can happen and you get linked to other clubs. If I start talking about that it only adds fuel to the speculation.

"But I know I want to stay at the club."

Ferguson was understood to be ready to sell Giggs after a lapse in form and stories of dressing-room rifts with the other players.

Giggs' form slumped when an off-field love triangle appeared to be affecting his relationship with some of the other players.

His pregnant girlfriend Stacey Cooke is the former fiancee of players' pal David Gardner.

But the relationship has apparently turned some players, including David Beckham, against their team-mate.

As part of the tangled romantic web, Gardner is now marrying Giggs' ex Davinia Taylor - with Beckham and Phil Neville joint best men.

But Neville has moved to quash rumours of a rift between some players and Giggs - while Beckham was the first to congratulate the Welshman after his wonderful second goal against Juve.

"I think the way we celebrated with Ryan after he scored said it all," Neville said. "It shows how popular he is in this team.

"We are all the best of friends and for people to suggest we have fallen out is a big insult to us all. Ryan Giggs is a great lad and a great player.

"Against Juventus he turned in a world-class performance."

Sections of the Old Trafford crowd had started to turn against Giggs - not least after his glaring open-goal miss against Arsenal in the FA Cup this month.

Giggs concedes he had dropped well below his usual standards but believes he is now back - and ready to inspire United to European glory again following their 1999 triumph.

"A lot has been made of my form and I admit I have not been playing well. The last 10 games I think I've been OK, but before that it was not good," he said.

"I set high standards for myself and, when I drop below them, I'm my biggest critic.

"I know some fans have not been happy and that's OK because they pay their money to see me perform and I have not been playing as well as I could.

"But I've been working hard and, hopefully, things have turned round now."