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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
John McDougall

Declan Rice responds to question about his West Ham future amid Manchester United transfer links

Declan Rice admitted he is 'not really focused' on whether the upcoming Europa Conference League final could be his last game for West Ham.

Speculation surrounds the future of the 24-year-old midfielder, who is the Hammers' captain. His deal at the London Stadium expires in the summer of 2024 and, though West Ham hold an option to extend it by a further 12 months, it is highly expected this season will be Rice's last at his boyhood club.

United has been touted as a potential destination as Erik ten Hag plans to add further reinforcements to his squad this summer, though signing a new striker is the manager's priority. Arsenal are reported to be leading the chase for Rice at this moment in time.

READ MORE: Antony and Martinez - United injury latest ahead of FA Cup final vs Man City

Rice's last game for West Ham could well be the upcoming Europa Conference League final; the Hammers face Italian side Fiorentina in Prague on Wednesday, June 7.

But asked if a victory would be an ideal way to sign off his time with the club, Rice insists he is purely focused on the action on the pitch next month. He says everything else is 'noise and speculation' which he accepts comes with playing, but winning a trophy is all he is thinking about.

Rice said: “I’ve not really focused on any of that, to be honest. My main focus this season, from the World Cup onwards, has been getting us out of a relegation battle and, of course, having one eye on winning this trophy.

“Everything else is just noise and speculation. Obviously, I can’t help that, it comes with playing. But my main focus is playing for West Ham and winning this final. My heart’s set on that, doing it for the club, for my family, for the fans and that’s my only focus. I want to make them all very happy and my focus is on doing that.”

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