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Fabian Delph has announced that he is staying at Aston Villa despite widespread reports that he was on the verge of joining Manchester City. City were interested in the England international and were tipped to complete an £8 million move for him, but the 25-year-old, who signed a new four-and-a-half year contract with Villa in January, says he is staying put. "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," he said on the club's official website. "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." Delph, who was a £6 million signing from Leeds in 2009, has an £8 million release clause in his current contract with Villa. City are in need of both midfielders and English players after James Milner and Frank Lampard's summer departures left Joe Hart as the only Brit to feature regularly for Manuel Pellegrini. Delph's decision should represent a major boost to Villa manager Tim Sherwood, who appointed the midfielder captain. Sherwood has already lost one midfielder this summer, with Tom Cleverley choosing to sign a permanent deal with Everton, though he has signed another by bringing in Idrissa Gueye. Villa have signed Micah Richards from City and the defender revealed this week that Delph had asked him about life at the Etihad Stadium as he considered his options.
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