George Ford is the latest England international targetted for a move to France after Clermont Auvergne launched a bid to take him across the English Channel.
Sale Sharks have been locked in talks with the former Leicester Tigers and Bath fly-half and they had been confident of completing a deal to take him through until the next Rugby World Cup.
Clermont – who currently sit in 8th on the Top 14 table – are looking for someone to replace Benjamín Urdapilleta, who is returning to Argentina at the end of the season and are ready to put a spanner in the Sale Sharks bid to keep him.
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Oldham-born Ford, 31, is closing in on winning his 100th test cap and would become unavailable for Steve Borthwick if he decides to take up Clermont’s offer.
But Clermont, who have won three and lost three of their opening six games this season, might not be the only offer on the table, depending on what France star Matthieu Jalibert decides to do when his contract runs out next summer.
Bordeaux Begles are waiting to see if they have been successful in their bid to retain Jailbert’s services before they have a look to see who is available to move to the Stade Chaban-Delmas next season.
Castres are also looking at their options while both Paris clubs Stade Francais and Racing 92 are looking, but a move to the latter is unlikely considering that they signed Ford’s former England team-mate Owen Farrell last summer.
Ford missed England’s summer tour of New Zealand with an Achilles tendon injury and is battling to be fit for the Autumn international programme after suffering a tear to his right quad in the Sharks defeat to Saracens.
Ford didn’t need an operation on the injury and is targetting a return to action in time for England’s opener against New Zealand at Twickenham on 2 November.
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