Manu Tuilagi is among six players who will leave Leicester Tigers after failing to agree reduced wage packages amid financial challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Tigers revealed on Wednesday that the pandemic has cost them approximately £5m in revenue and they had asked players to take a 25 per cent pay cut for the 2020-21 season.
Here are the four early contenders to sign the England powerhouse ranked!
4. Toronto Wolfpack
Following the high-profile capture of Sonny Bill Williams on a lucrative two-year deal, ambitious Toronto will seek to add more high-profile signings, with Tuilagi top of their list as revealed by Telegraph Sport. Nevertheless, this move still feels extremely unlikely.
3. Beziers
Beziers, who are subject of a huge takeover from the UAW, are reportedly interested in bringing in the England centre.
The club won multiple French Championships throughout the 1970s and 1980s, with 11 titles to their name, before dropping into the lower divisions in France, falling into the third-tier Federale 1 in 2009.
If their takeover succeeds, the consortium plan to inject 10 million euros from the first season in order to pay off the debts of the club, buy back the loans in progress and, above all, “recruit heavy”.
It remains to be seen whether Tuilagi would be willing to play in the second division for at least one season, as the British Lions tour looms next summer.
2. Racing 92
Racing 92 slapped a huge three-year deal worth £850,000-a-year in front of the Leicester centre last season. Tuilagi eventually rejected their offer to re-sign with Tigers, but, according to French reports, his representatives are already in talks with the Top 14 side.
1. Sale Sharks
England head coach Eddie Jones is reportedly heading back to England from Japan to help find a deal to keep the 29-year-old in the Gallagher Premiership.
The Mail Online has revealed that he could be offered a modest contract by another Premiership club with the centre then claiming any deficit from his existing Tigers deal which runs until next summer.
A number of influential sports lawyers have already indicated that Leicester wouldn’t ‘ have a leg to stand on’ if Tuilagi pursued this.
It’s thought that the unnamed club could be Sale Sharks, who managed to increase their budget by offloading Chris Ashton to Harlequins.
