Manu cash may be too much for us - Murphy

LEICESTER supremo Geordan Murphy is banking on loyalty to trump cash after admitting his club cannot compete with the big money being thrown at Manu Tuilagi.

Tigers have stood by 27year-old Tuilagi during his long battle for fitness but face losing the England centre this summer, with French cracks Racing 92 reputedly willing to pay him £2.5m over three years – a move that would end his Test career after the World Cup.

Leicester are believed to have made an offer worth £450,000-a-year, which, with England appearance fees, would bring him closer to the money available in France.

However, head coach Murphy told The Rugby

Paper: “We’ve had some contract negotiations with Manu and I know Manu would love to stay, but if there is truth in some of the figures being bandied about from other clubs, then it would be very difficult to retain him.

“We spoke to him before the Six Nations because we wanted him to focus on playing for England and didn’t want him to be too clouded by that, so we hope this period will enable him to have conversations in and around other clubs to see what’s out there.

“Hopefully, we can help Manu make a decision to stay because we’d love to keep him, but such is professional sport that we probably won’t be able to compete financially.”

While Tuilagi visited Racing’s training ground during England’s fallow Six Nations week, Murphy hopes the player’s devotion to Leicester will swing his decision their way.

He said: “There are some great teams around the world that would love Manu, but he’s grown up here and has been here since he was 13. We’ve stayed loyal to Manu for a very long period and I know he loves the place, so hopefully that will count for something.”