Owen Farrell has agreed an immediate return to Saracens after a torrid season with Racing 92. The 33-year-old former England captain will join his boyhood club as a player-coach this summer on a five-year deal.
Saracens have secured Farrell’s signing after agreeing a compensation package with Racing 92 of about €200,000 (£170,000) – significantly less than the €500,000 paid by the French club last year – and reaching a deal over personal terms. Farrell had signed a two-year deal with the Top 14 side but endured an injury-hit season and informed the club of his desire to return to the Premiership towards the end of the campaign.
Farrell’s move back makes him available for England’s summer tour of Argentina and the USA but it is unclear if he wants to return to international duty or if the head coach, Steve Borthwick, would recall him.
The door also remains open for Farrell to join the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia, having been left out of the initial 38-man squad by his father, Andy. Farrell Jr will be in Dublin to run his rule over the Lions’ warm-up match against Argentina next Friday, having joined Sky Sports’ punditry team.
Farrell spent 16 years at Saracens and, after making his debut aged 17, won six Premiership titles and three European crowns with the club. After a trying 2023 World Cup campaign in which he was booed by England supporters, he announced he was taking a step back from international duty before his move to the Top 14 materialised.
At Racing, however, Farrell had a niggling groin problem that required surgery around the turn of the year. His final appearance came in the club’s Challenge Cup semi-final defeat by Lyon last month when he was withdrawn during the first half with a head injury. Stuart Lancaster, who had given Farrell his England debut, was sacked as Racing’s head coach in January.
Saracens were not the only Premiership side interested in bringing Farrell back to England but, once his desire to return was known, Mark McCall, Sarries’ director of rugby, wasted little time in securing his signature. After their final match of the season, against Bath, McCall confirmed Saracens were exploring bringing Farrell back to the club as injury dispensation, with Alex Lozowski ruled out until Christmas with an achilles injury. Farrell will be taking a significant pay cut compared with the salary he previously earned at Saracens.
“He doesn’t have to play 10, he can play other positions as well,” McCall said at the time. “So for our young talents who are developing, it could be a great thing to have him there.”
