Sale tempt George Ford with £600k offer
SALE SHARKS have emerged as surprise bidders to sign England fly-half George Ford on a salary of around £600,000 a year after he activated a clause that could see him leave Bath in the summer.
Ford was due to be under contract at the Rec until the end of next season but has been unsettled at the club since his dad Mike was sacked in May.
A move to the Cote d’Azur is being ruled out because of the 23-year-old fly-half ’s ambition to continue playing for England while, as I first reported three weeks ago, Bath have ruled out letting him return to Leicester Tigers.
One of the options is likely to come from the Sharks who are being bank rolled by Simon Orange the brother of former Take
That star Jason. Sharks director of rugby Steve Diamond recently told me that the club wanted to make five or six world class signings over the next year as long as their wage demands were sensible.
The Sharks would like Ford to be reunited at the AJ Bell Stadium with brother Joe, a fellow fly-half who has impressed playing for Yorkshire Carnegie this season.
Northampton Saints are very interested in signing a top class fly-half and are being kept in touch with developments from the West Country.
Exeter Chiefs have also been linked with Ford.
Bath were interested in signing Henry Slade last summer until he extended his Sandy Park contract.