England star receives Harlequins offer as London move edges closer

Daily Mail Sport reported last week that Harlequins and Saracens were both interested in Atkinson.

However, RUCK understands that Quins’ interest is more significant, with the club even tabling a bid for the centre, whose contract at the Cherry and Whites expires next year.

There is currently no indication that the offer has been accepted or that it meets Atkinson’s demands. But, the development means Harlequins are currently considered more likely to sign him than Saracens.

Harlequins finished ninth in PREM Rugby last season and have already added George Furbank to their squad. With relatively little other movement in the transfer market, the West London club is believed to still have room available within their salary cap.

Atkinson’s potential move to London is also understood to have personal benefits, with his girlfriend working in the city.

Gloucester are expected to be keen to retain the centre given his quality and importance to the squad.

However, following a coaching reshuffle and several major additions to their squad, the club could potentially view his departure as a way of creating salary cap space if Atkinson does not fit into the new vision at Kingsholm.

Atkinson made his England debut against Argentina last summer and has since gone on to earn seven caps for Steve Borthwick’s side.

He joined Gloucester in 2022 following the demise of Worcester Warriors and has quickly established himself as one of the standout performers at Kingsholm.

His form has earned him international recognition, with the centre becoming a regular part of England’s Test squad.

Atkinson’s performances are not the only thing that have caught the eye, with his extraordinary fitness levels also setting him apart from his peers.

In 2024, he completed the gruelling Bronco test in just 4 minutes and 8 seconds. The running drill is designed to test the conditioning and endurance of rugby players.

His time set a new benchmark in PREM Rugby and even bettered the efforts of some of the world’s leading players.

Atkinson was four seconds quicker than Beauden Barrett and three seconds faster than Hugo Keenan, recording what was reported as the fastest time ever seen in rugby.