Leicester Tigers fly-half Billy Searle is reportedly attracting interest from several Top 14 clubs following an impressive season in PREM Rugby last term.
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RUCK understands that Lyon, Castres and Perpignan are all exploring a potential move for the 30-year-old, who already has experience of playing in France.
Searle returned to England from France last year and quickly established himself as one of the form players in the English game.
He helped Tigers reach the PREM Rugby semi-finals, while also earning a nomination for Gallagher Player of the Season.
The fly-half made 20 starts in all competitions for Leicester last season and played a key role in their Prem Rugby Cup triumph, scoring two tries in the final against Exeter Chiefs.
His performances also earned him an England A call-up in February. Searle started against Ireland A and marked the occasion with a try at Thomond Park.
Before joining Leicester in 2025, the fly-half spent three years in France after Worcester Warriors entered liquidation, representing Toulouse, Biarritz and Agen before returning to England to join Tigers.
His performances have now caught the attention of Lyon, Castres and Perpignan, with all three clubs looking to improve after finishing in the bottom half of the Top 14 last season.
Perpignan could potentially offer the most suitable destination. The Catalan club have been searching for fly-half options in recent months and recently signed Paolo Garbisi as a replacement for Tommaso Allen.
Veteran Benjamín Urdapilleta, 40, came out of retirement to play for another season after agreeing to a short-term deal in the middle of last winter. However, Perpignan will need to find a long-term replacement for him next summer.
Signing Searle would give the Catalan side considerably more depth at fly-half, while potentially allowing Garbisi to spend more time at inside centre, a position he has played previously.
A Searle and Garbisi fly-half and inside centre combination could prove similarly effective to the partnership Searle formed with Orlando Bailey at Leicester, which flourished last season.
Perpignan have also made an ambitious recruitment push in recent months. After finishing 13th in the most recent Top 14 campaign, they secured their top-flight status with a convincing victory over Provence Rugby in the relegation play-off.
Marco Riccioni, Sevu Reece and Luke McGrath have all joined ahead of the upcoming season, underlining the club’s ambition to climb the table.
With the market for top-level fly-halves somewhat limited at the moment, Tigers will face a battle to keep hold of a player of Searle’s quality.
