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West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice has turned down a move away from the club after Manchester United and Chelsea registered their interest in securing his signature, per Football Insider.

What’s the word?

Rice signed a new contract in December but has still been the subject of enquiries this summer.

The aforementioned report claims that United and the Blues both told the Hammers that they would be interested in securing his signature.

It remains to be seen if Chelsea would have even been able to make a bid in this window, given their transfer ban, but it bears pointing out that Rice actually came through their academy before his move to the Hammers.

United, of course, are looking to reshape their squad under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and have already signed Daniel James from Swansea City.

However, the report claims that Rice wants to remain in east London after a season in which he made his England debut and emerged as a star for the Irons.

A weight off the shoulders

West Ham will be delighted with this news.

Football FanCast understands that the club were anxious about the possibility of receiving bids for the midfielder in this transfer window.

As a result, they placed a £70m asking price on the 20-year-old’s head before the summer window.

But now it has emerged that Rice wants to stay at the London Stadium anyway.

And with the Irons making serious moves in this transfer window – they have already secured Pablo Fornals from Villarreal for a £24m fee – the last thing they would have needed is a saga over Rice’s future.

That can maybe wait; if he repeats his heroics from this season, where he emerged as England’s first-choice defensive midfielder, perhaps clubs will step up to the plate again next summer.

But Rice’s willingness to stay in east London bodes well for the Irons’ chances of keeping him long-term.