Owen Farrell’s potential transfer to Racing 92 has not yet been completed but the French club’s head coach, Stuart Lancaster, has confirmed he is keen to finalise a deal to sign England’s record points‑scorer for next season.
Lancaster, the former England head coach now at the Parisian club, made clear after his side’s 29-25 defeat against Bath that he would personally love to bring in the erstwhile England captain but stressed that financial discussions were ongoing.
“Obviously there have been conversations,” said Lancaster, who selected Farrell for his first England cap in 2012. “He would be a great signing ... who wouldn’t want a player like Owen Farrell? We’ll see how it plays out.”
Lancaster stressed, however, that the fine print of the deal would also have to suit the French Top 14 leaders, amid reports that Saracens want a fee of £500,000 to cover the final year of Farrell’s contract. “I am involved in the rugby side of the business and there is another side of the business at Racing,” Lancaster said. “I can have a wish list but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to happen.”
If Farrell relocates to France he would become instantly ineligible to represent England. He has announced his decision to step aside from international rugby to focus on his and his family’s mental wellbeing and will not feature in the Six Nations championship which kicks off a fortnight on Friday.
Lancaster, though, believes someone of Farrell’s influence would be invaluable as he seeks to mould Racing into more consistent winners. “During my time we have already been linked to Beauden Barrett, Marcus Smith, Owen Farrell and probably a few others as well. I have signed for four years and what I am trying to do is to build a team that can win this year and be really competitive over the next couple of years as well.”
