“It’s all talk” – Declan Rice distances himself from Man Utd transfer speculation

Declan Rice has reaffirmed his commitment to West Ham following reports Manchester United could make a move for his services during the January transfer window.
The 20-year-old England international has seen his profile soar over the last 18 months and recently penned a contract extension set to keep him at the London Stadium until June 2024.
The rise of Rice: Five key things to know…
- Rice came through West Ham’s esteemed youth set-up.
- He controversially swapped international allegiance, having previously represented Ireland at youth level.
- Rice has currently won six international caps under England boss Gareth Southgate.
- Having made 78 appearances for West Ham in all competitions, his present deal expires in June 2024.
- Man Utd have been heavily linked with Rice, but the England midfielder is not considering a move at the moment.
One club heavily associated with Rice’s signature is Man Utd, who are looking to continue rebuilding under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having started the 2019/20 season poorly.
After their opening eight Premier League outings, Man Utd find themselves sitting two points above the relegation places; a big reason behind their poor progress was a pair of defeats to Newcastle and the Hammers.
Manuel Pellegrini’s men inflicted a 2-0 defeat on the Red Devils in late September with Rice playing the full 90 minutes; in fact the midfielder not missed a single minute for his club side this term.
The Londoner, currently on international duty with the Three Lions, is fully aware he is being linked with a transfer amid reports suggesting Man Utd could submit a £70 million bid in January.
However, the midfielder is determined to stay focused on Pellegrini’s project and is not concerned with the talk surrounding his future.
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“I signed a five-year contract with West Ham last year, which will keep me at club till I’m 24, and for me this is the best place to be right now,” he told the Daily Mail.
“I am playing for a manager who has given me my chance and played me week in week out.
“I’m improving every week and although I see all this speculation, I don’t really think about it too much.
“It’s all talk until something happens – and nothing has – so I’m just focused on West Ham, doing my best and making fans happy.”