Sale upbeat after talks to sign Ford from Leicester
Alex Sanderson has confirmed that Sale Sharks are in talks with George Ford and says his club are a “strong runner” to sign the Leicester Tigers and England fly-half.
The Daily Telegraph yesterday revealed that Ford, who has been named as the Premiership player of the month for October, was weighing up a switch which would be one of the most high-profile in domestic rugby history.
“I’ve had a conversation with George,” said Sanderson, Sale’s director of rugby, yesterday. “I felt it went well, [but] you’re best off asking him. I like the lad, I love what he’s about. He’s very honest. He’s driven, he’s still very ambitious. He’s a family man, so he showed a lot of traits that would align themselves very well here. But there is more that comes into play often. It’s so
complicated, which is why I can’t call it. At least, I can’t call it for him.
“I have no intention of counting chickens before they’ve hatched. I can’t read the minds of others. We can only put our best case forward and let the chips fall where they may, but I think it’s a very positive case. We’re a club with aspirations and investment, with good people involved. We’re a strong runner and the rest is up to other parties.”
Sale’s need for a fly-half has heightened with the impending departure of AJ Macginty to Bristol Bears in what Sanderson described as a “very lucrative deal”.
“We have looked at the need to fill the role,” he said. “We’ve got two young lads that are going to be class as they progress. We’ve opened the door to negotiations with other flyhalves. It’s a crucial position where you need someone of international class if you are ever going to challenge for silverware. George Ford is one. He is world-class, isn’t he. And he’s playing some of the best rugby he’s played in a while. That’s where we’re at. The rest is speculation.”