Out of contract... but in demand? The big decisions facing top Welsh players
THE quote from the president of Real Madrid football club should act as a warning to anyone who is ever charged with writing a transfer story in sport.
“Never, never, never, never. Nothing, never, never, never. Not now. Not ever,” Florentino Perez famously said when discussing the club’s interest in signing David Beckham.
Not long after, they added the England international to their ranks. Always, transfer stories are moving. Always, the challenge is to sort out reality from what people involved in such deliberations want to put out there.
It is with all that in mind that we consider the futures of a number of Wales players who are believed to be heading towards the end of their contracts.
MARK ORDERS has been looking at their cases... ROSS MORIARTY
The Wales and Lions back rower signed a two-year deal with the Dragons in 2018.
Leading the queue of would-be suitors, according to reports, are Exeter Chiefs, with a number of French outfits also said to be interested.
The complication is that were Moriarty to leave regional rugby he would have to give up his Wales career as he is below the current 60-cap threshold for exiled players to continue to pull on the red jersey. He has much thinking to do, then. Staying in Wales might necessitate a pay cut with none of the professional sides exactly overflowing with money.
Leaving the regional scene would see his Test hopes being put on hold.
Is there interest outside the Dragons in Wales? Yes, yes, yes, it is believed.
GARETH DAVIES
Davies signed a national dual contract in 2018 and is believed to heading for free-agent status in 2020.
The Scarlets have an emerging scrum-half talent in Kieran Hardy, but
Davies is pretty much at the peak of his powers and the assumption is his region would want to keep him.
The likelihood is that the 51-cap Davies would want to stay, too.
He is first choice in Llanelli and was Wales’ number one scrum-half at the World Cup.
It seems improbable he’d want to do anything to jeopardise such pre-eminence.
JUSTIN TIPURIC
There are reports that he is weighing up a £500,000-a-year offer from Bristol, though his representatives at Win Sports Management deny they have spoken with the English club.
But Pat Lam is an admirer of the openside flanker and worked with him with the Barbarians in 2018.
Clermont Auvergne, Toulon and Toulouse are also said to be on the 30-year-old’s trail.
And it is believed Top 14 leaders Lyon are seriously interested in the multi-skilled openside flanker.
The Ospreys would struggle to compete in a straight bidding war for Tipuric, but the Trebanos man has been with them for over a decade and is their captain. He is an icon to their supporters and a player the region would be desperate to retain.
They’ll hope the loyalty factor will help them hold onto one of European rugby’s most sought-after players.
While he has more than 60 caps and so would be untouched by the Senior Player Selection Policy on exiled players, playing outside the regional scene would mean he might not be eligible for every national training session and game. There’s also potential travelling to consider if Tipuric chooses to head for France. RHYS PATCHELL
Patchell put a difficult season behind him with a number of fine performances at the World Cup.
He is out of contract this summer. Defensive issues didn’t help him under Wayne Pivac at the Scarlets last term, but the New Zealander, who is now Wales’ coach, would have doubtless been impressed with him at the global tournament in Japan.
A number of clubs across the northern hemisphere were impressed with Patchell’s efforts on the big stage, but if he features in Pivac’s plans it would be a surprise if he were to leave the Scarlets.
LIAM WILLIAMS
Williams is expected to leave Saracens after three years with the English club.
He is rapidly approaching decision time on his future and there is firm offer on the table from the Ospreys for his services.
The 28-year-old would potentially transform the Liberty Stadium club’s attacking play with his ability to cut the line and hurtle forward from deep.
Nor would it have to be a choice between him and Dan Evans, with both players able to play out wide as well as at full-back.
But the Scarlets appear to have stepped up their interest in their former player and he visited Parc y Scarlets earlier this week.
Which Welsh region are the best fit for Williams? Might he be tempted by
French gold or perhaps even a switch to another English club?
Those are the thoughts that will be running through his mind right now. ALED DAVIES
There is a feeling that Davies’ has yet to peak for the Ospreys, but he has looked sharp in bursts and in 30 minutes off the bench against Munster last weekend he seriously caught the eye, flicking out 51 passes, making ground with ball in hand and scoring a try.
He is a free agent this summer and there is no obvious reason why he would want to leave the Liberty.
The Ospreys’ difficulties this season, after an up and down campaign in 2018-19, might have seen them lose some of their lustre, but when they have a full deck of players to pick from they are still capable of competing.
The likelihood is Davies will be part of their plans assuming he wants to stay.
RHYS WEBB
Webb is under contract to Toulon until the summer of 2021, but his family have returned home from France with one of his sons unable to settle.
There is uncertainty about whether the former Osprey has a clause in his contract to leave Toulon at the end of
his term, but there seems a reasonable chance the french club would take into account his challenging personal circumstances if a request from the player came in.
Bath have already been linked to him and so have Exeter Chiefs, with the two English clubs likely to pay well for Webb’s signature.
Every Welsh region has a Wales international scrum-half.
depending on whether aled davies stays at the Ospreys, Webb potentially could return there.
But, again, the region have reported no dissatisfaction with davies.
So this one is up in the air. Watch this space.
CORY HILL
The dragons will want to keep Hill, a leader who never fails to front up.
But there is speculation their great rivals Cardiff Blues are keen to lure him to the arms Park.
The Blues have front-five issues to resolve, but then the dragons are not exactly bursting with strength in that area. Losing Hill would hardly send out the right signal at rodney Parade.
So the potential is there for a battle over the 27-year-old.
it will be intriguing to see what Hill decides.