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Wales star Jamie Roberts faces a straight choice between Cardiff Blues and the Ospreys after the Scarlets have ruled themselves out of the running even if they make next season’s European Champions Cup.

Roberts is close to signing a National Dual Contract to return home to Wales despite overtures from English clubs Harlequins and London Irish, but he is undecided on which team to join.

His former team the Blues theoretically have first call on his services under the terms of the new participation agreement, but the lure of European Champions Cup rugby with the Ospreys could swing the balance in their favour.

Gallery: The men who have already signed Dual Contracts

The Scarlets maintain hopes of qualifying for Europe’s premier competition but have now categorically stated Roberts is not part of their plans.

The Blues have pulled out all the stops in an attempt to lure him back to the Arms Park, offering the 28-year-old a lucrative deal.

But if Roberts doesn’t want to return to his old region, he is free to sign for a rival.

A precedent has already been set with Roberts’ former Racing Metro team-mate Dan Lydiate having chosen the Ospreys rather than make a return to Newport Gwent Dragons.

The back-row forward cited family issues and Wales’ top region being in this campaign’s Champions Cup as the reasons for his move west.

With the Blues unable to qualify for next term’s European club showpiece, Roberts could use that as a reason to move elsewhere with the Ospreys understood to be ready to pounce as they seek to bolster resources for a real crack at the tournament.

The WRU would almost certainly come down on the side of the player because the national team’s management, headed by coach Warren Gatland, believe it’s essential the Welsh region(s) who are in it have strong squad(s) and make a mark on the Champions Cup with a quarter-final a minimum target.

Roberts was fulsome in his praise of the Ospreys and the coaching set-up at the Liberty Stadium after Racing were pushed all the way in both group matches in this campaign’s Champions Cup.

They could be Wales’ only entry in it next season with the Blues and Dragons almost certainly out of the reckoning and the Scarlets’ bid hanging by a thread with four rounds of Guinness Pro12 fixtures remaining in the regular league.

Scarlets might be an option for Roberts if they qualify for the Champions Cup – they are embroiled in a dog-fight with Connacht and Edinburgh for the final automatic place with the last spot being decided by a play-off against English or French opposition – but coach Wayne Pivac claimed they weren’t interested.

“We are not looking at the midfield. We have Scott Williams, Hadleigh Parkes, Regan King and the likes of Adam Warren and Gareth Owen and DTH van der Merwe and Michael Tagicakibau can also slot in there,” he said.

“What you would have to look at is any serious injuries that may have an effect on your squad. But, outside of that, our recruitment for 2015-16 is pretty much done.”

Roberts will leave Racing at the end of the Top 14 league campaign with the French side deeming him surplus to requirements and agreeing to pay him off a year early, with his contract not due to run out until June next year.

Blues, who left for Paris in the summer of 2013, have offered the 69-times capped Wales international a lucrative contract and are prepared to sign him now with a view to him switching to a dual contract with the WRU at a later date.

And they wouldn’t stand in the way of a plan Roberts is considering to take a short-term study course following the World Cup at either Oxford or Cambridge University so he can fulfil an ambition of playing in the Varsity match at Twickenham on December 10.

“The ball is in Jamie’s court – I’ve been talking with his agent on a regular basis,” said Blues chief executive Richard Holland.

“We have made what we believe to be a very attractive package and want him to be part of our ambitious plans for the future.”