Welsh rugby is in serious danger of losing one of its prime assets with star wing Josh Adams a target for Lyon and a host of other French clubs.
Adams has two years left on his contract with Cardiff but WalesOnline understands Lyon are prepared to offer a transfer fee to acquire his services earlier.
A transfer fee could tempt Cardiff who are facing financial uncertainty and will be without their Wales internationals for the majority of next season.
The 27-year-old is widely considered one of the best wingers in the Northern Hemisphere and has been a revelation for Wales since making his Test debut in 2018, helping his country to a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2019 along with a Rugby World Cup semi-final.
He has also been on fire for Cardiff this season, crossing for seven tries in his last six games while he also toured with the British & Irish Lions in 2021.
The game in Wales is in limbo with its four professional clubs unable to nail down any contracts with players as they look to thrash out a new six-year funding framework with the Welsh Rugby Union.
This has put clubs in England, France and Japan on red alert with Lyon leading the chase to land Adams. If Adams was to agree to a move to France it would cause Warren Gatland a big headache.
Should a deal with a club outside of Wales get completed Adams would become ineligible to represent his country at next autumn's World Cup with his 44 caps short of the 60 required.
As a result Gatland would have to ask the Professional Rugby Board (PRB) for special dispensation to select Adams and any other player who has signed a contract with a club outside of Wales with Racing 92-bound lock Will Rowlands in the same boat. You can read about that here.
All four professional sides - Cardiff, Dragons RFC, Ospreys and Scarlets - are struggling financially and desperately need a long-term deal with the WRU to be signed as a matter of urgency.
Even if a deal is signed the money on offer will allow the regions to survive not thrive meaning they will have to cut their cloth accordingly with wages expected to drop across the board as they have done in England.
Gatland will be desperate to retain the services of Adams who has been a mainstay of this Wales side for the past five years.
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