Itoje linked with shock Tigers move

ENGLAND and Lions star Maro Itoje has been linked with a stunning loan move to Leicester Tigers.

With Saracens Championshipbound, many of the clubs’ stars have been left with a decision to stay at Allianz Park or find pastures new.

England second-row Itoje, pictured above, had initially been linked with a sensational loan move to Racing 92, only for that to be ruled out after other Premiership clubs complained about him continuing to play for England while plying his trade abroad.

And now it seems like Welford Road could be his next destination.

Speaking on the latest edition of The Rugby Pod, Jim Hamilton, the ex-Scotland international who played the last few years of his career with Itoje at Saracens, suggested a switch to Leicester was potentially on the cards.

“I saw one, a big one as well, just before we came on to do the podcast, so I have not done enough digging and there’s been a couple of reports.

“It was John Mitchell who mentioned how Maro and Mako (Vunipola) would be staying at Saracens but then I saw something about Maro to Leicester. Genuinely, I’m not throwing a dead line amongst the pigeons here. I genuinely saw it, so I’m going to do a bit more digging on that.

“The more and more I think about it, I can’t see how someone like Maro Itoje is going to play in the Championship. I know they [Saracens] are going to put on some exhibition games. Imagine if he went to Leicester.

“I’m not throwing it out there to cause a stir. I have seen it somewhere and I will dig because I have got time to dig. I saw it on social media somewhere.”