Exeter look set to win the race to sign the Saracens and England fly-half Alex Lozowski in a deal believed to be worth £350,000 a year. Lozowski is out of contract in the summer and has been linked with a move to his former club Wasps but the Observer understands the Chiefs are poised to land the 24-year-old for next season.

Lozowski, who started Saracens’ victory at Worcester on Friday, won his first two England caps on the June tour of Argentina but is believed to have concerns over his first-team prospects at Saracens after Owen Farrell signed a new long-term deal last month. Lozowski’s capture would be a coup for the Chiefs after Wasps were initially hopeful of tempting him back to the club he joined in 2014, with Danny Cipriani out of contract at the end of the season.

Lozowski was included in England’s 33-man training squad this week but is behind George Ford and Farrell in the pecking order at fly-half. He would be an ideal signing for Exeter, considering he is likely to be available during the international windows. Competition for the England No10 jersey is growing with the emergence of the 18-year-old Marcus Smith but with Henry Slade concentrating on playing outside-centre and Gareth Steenson now 33, a move to Exeter could also significantly boost Lozowski’s chances of being included in the 2019 World Cup squad .

Lozowski left Wasps in 2016 largely because of Cipriani’s arrival and he made an immediate impression at Allianz Park, promptly earning his first England call-up in September last year. He went on to make 21 Premiership appearances for Saracens last term, standing in when Farrell was injured or on international duty, or occasionally filling in at inside-centre. He also appeared in all nine of Saracens’ European Champions Cup matches but started just two as Farrell was largely preferred during their successful title defence.