Gareth Anscombe is considering a move away from Wales with a number of French clubs circling the wagon.
The Wales playmaker's contract with the Ospreys runs out at the end of this current season and the 31-year-old is on the shopping list of a host of clubs in the Top 14.
Midi Olympique reported on the weekend that Anscombe was in advanced talks with Pau but Wales Online understands star studded Racing 92 are also interested.
The Paris based club will be led by Stuart Lancaster after the former England coach leaves Leinster at the end of the season. Finn Russell looks set to leave the club with Bath reportedly leading the chase for the mercurial outside-half, and as a result Racing are running the rule over a number of potential replacements.
Anscombe is one of those players but a move to Racing is not certain with Pau and a host of other clubs also keen. Should Anscombe decide to leave it will end his international career, at least temporarily, with the 31-year-old well short of the 60 caps required to continue representing Wales while plying his trade outside of the country.
Another complication could be the start date of any new contract with a French club. Wales lock Will Rowlands has signed for Racing 92 next season and under the current laws will miss next autumn's World Cup.
The Professional Rugby Board is set to vote on whether to grant him special dispensation to represent Wales at the World Cup given there is currently a freeze on the four regions offering players new contracts. It is unclear whether Anscombe falls into this category, but players are getting increasingly fed up with the delay in offering contracts.
Returning Wales head coach Warren Gatland is a massive fan of Anscombe and will be desperate to have him at his disposal. During the 2019 Six Nations Grand Slam campaign Anscombe was Wales' first choice number 10 ahead of Dan Biggar but sustained a major ACL injury a month before the World Cup in what proved to be a seismic blow to his country.
Following nearly two years on the sidelines Anscombe returned to somewhere close to his peak form but picked up a shoulder injury during Wales' defeat to Australia last month and is now a doubt for the start of the Six Nations in February.
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