The Ospreys are believed to be tracking an exiled young lock who’s being viewed as a future Wales international.
Swansea-born Rhys Davies, 21, has been part of Bath’s academy and featured in the same Wales U20s side as Rhys Carre, Tommy Reffell and Taine Basham.
Amid calls to lure home as many youngsters as possible who are playing beyond the regional scene, Davies is attracting interest from more than one region.
But the Ospreys are thought to have made a strong play for him which stands a fair chance of succeding.
He is viewed as a significant prospect, with one close observer of the scene in England saying of Davies: “He has the potential to play for Wales within a few years.”
There is a watchlist drawn up of players who are viewed as potential future Wales squad members, with regions receiving a sum of money per player on the list out of the Professional Rugby Board’s financial pot.
The likelihood is the giant 6ft 6in and 18st Davies would be a candidate for such a list.
You can see all 97 of the Welsh-qualified players on the books of English clubs right now, here.
In an interview last week, Ospreys performance directors Mike Ruddock made clear he had been monitoring potential signings who had links to the area.
“I've been pretty active trying to recruit players with some home-grown flavour,” he told the BBC .
“If you can get some emotional attachment to the region it makes a big difference in tight games.
"I think you'll see further announcements fairly soon and some good retention."
Earlier this week, the Ospreys signed Mat Protheroe , another player with Swansea roots, from Bristol Bears, while Rhys Webb is also returning to the region and skipper Justin Tipuric has re-signed.
