Offer made to Semi Radradra after his weekend Top 14 trip - report

Semi Radradra reportedly spent time in France last weekend visiting a Top 14 club after playing for Bristol in their Friday night home Challenge Cup pool stage win over Perpignan. The Fijian powerhouse is out of contract at the Bears at the end of the current season and he has been linked for some time with a switch back across the Channel.

It was the summer of 2020 when Radradra first arrived in Bristol from Bordeaux and within months of joining, the midfielder won the Challenge Cup final with the English club.

However, with a squeeze now on salaries in the Premiership via the reduced salary cap and the reduction from two to one marquee player per club, the expectation is that the 30-year-old will return to the Top 14 for next season.

Radradra first went to France to play for Toulon in 2017, but he switched to Bordeaux the following year and it was that club that was initially rumoured to be the front-runner to re-sign him from Bristol.

However, it has now been reported that Radradra spent last weekend in Lyon and has received an offer to join as a replacement for the Racing 92-bound Josua Tuisova. A story in L’Equipe read: “According to our information, Lyon have sent an offer to Semi Radradra and the Fijian centre could sign up for next season from Bristol.

“This weekend, the Fijian midfielder, who can also play on the wing, visited the facilities and spoke with the leaders of the Rhone club. There was also talk about the condition of his knee which was in doubt. The medical examinations passed by the former league star have, it seems, been rather reassuring and the ball is now in Semi Radradra’s court.

“Bordeaux had looked at the possibility of bringing back the Fijian centre (11 caps) after a first stint between 2018 and 2020, but the Girondin club finally completed the signing of Damian Penaud. And it is now Lyon, in search of an X-factor following the departure of Josua Tuisova to Racing 92, which has positioned itself. At the end of his contract in Bristol, Radradra wanted to take up a new challenge.”