Another great club of English rugby have been linked with interest in signing England international flanker Jack Willis.
Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam and Leicester Tigers head coach Steve Borthwick are both big fans of the turnover specialist who is a free agent after Wasps went into administration last month, making 167 members of staff redundant, but both are understood to be struggling to fit the star man into their squads under the £5m salary cap.
French Top 14 giants Toulouse are also reported to be interested in the 2019/20 Gallagher Premiership Player of the Season and now The Rugby Paper reports that Northampton Saints are keen to add Willis to their ranks in what could be an appealing move for the 25-year-old as he would be able to join the club without needing to relocate his young family.
Willis is currently part of Eddie Jones’ 36-player squad to prepare for England’s opening Autumn Nations Series fixture against Argentina this weekend and likely to start against Los Pumas at Twickenham Stadium on Sunday.
Speaking to the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast this week, Willis said: “Ben, my agent, has been incredible and has been working around the clock to sort things out.
“Nothing is set-up yet. It is not simple out there at the moment and it is not easy at all. It is incredibly challenging for the clubs and players to find the money and find the right spot.
“You have got a few players moving to places which might not be the best option for them, and clubs doing the same, but it is just the market we are in.
“The cap is so tight that there is not room for everyone to sign where they would like and it to be the perfect world.
“In a perfect world, we would all move on together, stay with my brother and stay with my mates but that is not realistic. I just hope every one of those players finds a club.
“You hear some of the numbers being chucked around at the lads and they have been getting offers of 75 percent pay cuts from what they were on. In no other walk of life would you be considering it, but it is all our dreams to play rugby.
“You have just got to hope we can get through this season and then see how things ease up.”
Bristol boss Lam is a man down in the backrow until the New Year having lost Sam Jeffries to a hamstring injury which should allow him to access some additional cap room allowed to replace long-term injured players, while former All Black Steven Luatua is set to return from his pre-season calf injury this month.
However, Jake Heenan has returned from his recent ankle injury and flanker Dan Thomas has checked back in after his two-game loan to United Rugby Championship side the Scarlets. Elsewhere in the backrow, Bristol have Fitz Harding and Magnus Bradbury and Sam Lewis available while John Hawkins and Joe Batley can both pack down at blindside flanker.
Chris Vui set to be away from the rest of the month with Samoa, but with Willis also on international duty, Bristol adding the former Wasps flanker would not be about cover during this window.
