Fabian Delph confirms he will remain at Aston Villa: 'I'm not leaving'
Various reports in England on Friday suggested Manchester City was on the verge of signing Fabian Delph of Aston Villa after activating the £8-million release clause in his contract.
Go ahead and burn those reports.
On Saturday, Delph published a statement on Villa's official website in which he confirmed he will be remaining at Villa Park and leading the club into the new Premier League season.
"I'm aware there has been intense media speculation surrounding my future in the last 24 hours and I want to set the record straight," Delph wrote.
"I'm not leaving. I'm staying at the football club and I can't wait for the start of the season and captaining this great football club."
Despite signing a four-year contract extension with Villa in January, rumours involving Delph's departure from the club have persisted, and a move to City appeared imminent given its need for midfield depth and homegrown players.
Fabian Delph: Of players to attempt 50+ dribbles in the PL last season, only Yaya Touré (83.6%) had better success than Delph (82.4%) #avfc
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) July 11, 2015
A significant portion of Villa supporters are surely looking to take back some strong words as a result of the U-turn.