Tuilagi considering his future as Sale battle to keep England centre

England centre Manu Tuilagi is currently considering his options as his contract with Sale Sharks comes to an end. The powerful centre – who starts against Ireland on Saturday –  has caught the attention of clubs in both France and Japan, who are reportedly willing to offer him big money deals.

Bristol Live report that despite this interest, Tuilagi has given his current club plenty of time to make a counter offer. However, Sale Sharks are constrained by a shrinking Gallagher Premiership salary cap, which may limit their ability to match the financial packages on offer from overseas.

Sale Sharks Director of Rugby, Alex Sanderson, is hopeful that Tuilagi will choose to stay in the North West, where he has been a key player since joining the club from Leicester Tigers. Sanderson has previously spoken highly of the centre, praising his work rate and physicality on the pitch.

“I’ve spoken to Manu and there is something on the table when before there was very little. The ball is more in his court than ours,” said Sanderson. “What Manu did, because he wants to stay, is give us as long as possible. We said there was nothing for these reasons but something could happen the longer you leave it because of the changing face of the salary cap.

“We found a way but whether it’s enough, we haven’t had that conversation yet, so the ball is shoved towards him.

“I know Manu has offers from France and Japan but him not moving on is because of his desire to stay here, which I think is commendable.”

However, it seems unlikely that Sale Sharks will be able to compete with the big money offers being made by clubs in France and Japan, so it will come down to the centre’s preference. If Tuilagi does decide to move on, he will bring an end to an entire club career that has been played in England.