Saracens players have been called to a crisis meeting on Friday morning amid reports that the club are on the verge of automatic relegation from the Gallagher Premiership at the end of the season.

Executives from the Premiership clubs met on Tuesday, when the reigning domestic champions are understood to have been issued with an ultimatum to prove their compliance with the salary cap for the current season this week or drop to the second tier of English rugby.

Back in November, Saracens were found guilty of breaching the £7m salary cap in three consecutive seasons between 2016-17 and 2018-19, during which the club won two Premiership titles and also two Champions Cups.

They were fined £5.36m and docked 35 league points, the harshest sanctions available to Premiership Rugby under the competition’s regulations.

The 103-page report covering the investigation has not been released and is available only to club executives at Premiership Rugby’s offices, leading to calls from bosses at other Premiership clubs, including Exeter Chiefs chairman Tony Rowe, for the report to be made public. Saracens’ fine has since been split between the other 12 Premiership shareholders - the 11 top-flight clubs plus Newcastle Falcons.