Wayne Rooney to stay Manchester United after all

London: Wayne Rooney quelled all speculation over his move to China and said he is staying at Premier League club Manchester United.

In a statement to Press Association Sport, Rooney said, "Despite the interest which has been shown from other clubs, for which I'm grateful, I want to end recent speculation and say that I am staying at Man United. I hope I will play a full part in helping the team in its fight for success on four fronts. It's an exciting time at the club and I want to remain a part of it."

Earlier, the British media reported that the 31-year-old had been sidelined by manager Jose Mourinho heightening expectations he could leave United for the mega-rich Chinese Super League. It also said that his agent Paul Stretford held talks in China yesterday.

Guangzhou Evergrande, Beijing Guoan, Jiangsu Suning and Tianjin Quanjian were said to be among those interested in United's all-time top scorer. British media have reported that he could earn up to $1 million a week.