Further possible new faces include centre Noel Reid from Leinster, utility back Jaco Taute from Munster and back-row forward Dan du Preez from Sharks.

Manu Tuilagi has admitted he faces "the toughest decision of my career" as he weighs up whether to forsake England to take up a €2.5 million (£2.14m) offer from Racing 92 in France.

Even though there were reports last week that he had put pen to paper, he insists that he has still to make up his mind - and Geordan Murphy, the Leicester head coach, will meet Tuilagi's representatives on Friday still hoping that to persuade him to stay.

"There is a lot on the line for everyone. I love playing for England and I love playing for Tigers. At the moment I haven't made a decision. Obviously, I need to take time to have a look at it. It's a massive decision and I have to make the right one for me and my family. I will look to do that after the Six Nations. At the moment, I'm still committed to Tigers and England and all my focus right now is on trying to finish on a high. It's a lot to consider. I need to take some time after this (Six Nations) campaign and put everything on the table and make the right decision."

Canada international Evan Olmstead has returned to Newcastle Falcons.

The 28-year-old flanker-cum-lock was part of the Falcons squad last season but left in the summer to help Auckland win New Zealand's Mitre 10 Cup final. However, with the Falcons facing relegation from the Premiership, he has now made his return to England.

Former Gloucester hooker Darren Dawidiuk has joined Northampton Saints on loan from Championship side Coventry for the rest of the season, to ease their injury problems, while Saints prop Jamal Ford-Robinson has gone the other way and joined Coventry on loan.

And finally, Saracens have confirmed Schalk Burger will leave the club at the end of the season. The former Springbok great will head back to Cape Town when the current Premiership campaign ends.

Latest rugby news...

McGrath to swap Leinster for Ulster

Ireland international Jack McGrath has been linked with a switch from Leinster to Ulster, according to reports in The Irish Independent.

Due to Cian Healy's superb form in the No 1 jersey for Leinster, McGrath has regularly found himself on the replacements bench, much to the frustration of the player and Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt.

McGrath, 29, is under contract with Leinster and the IRFU until the summer of 2020, but the Independent suggests a deal could be struck that will see him move north to become Ulster's first-choice loosehead, much in the same way as fly-half Joey Carbery left Leinster for Munster to get more starting opportunities.

Mata snubs England and France to stay in Edinburgh

European Player of the Year nominee Viliame Mata has ended speculation over his future by committing to Edinburgh for another year.

Such has been Mata's remakable form for Edinburgh this season, reports suggested clubs in England and France were circling. But Mata is enjoying playing in the Scottish capital and has put pen to paper on a new one-year contract extension.

The news will delight Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill, who last month jokingly said: "I will sell which ever one of my children's kidneys...

"We'll do everything we can to keep our best players, that includes Vili or anybody else. How realistic that is we'll see but I'm up for the battle don't worry."

Cockerill says he is planning to raid the Pacific Islands for more "X-factor" players to join Mata.

Cockerill said: "We’re looking for more talent - Fijian talent, Pacific island talent - to bolster this team because it gives you X-factor.

"I certainly did that when I was with Leicester, with the Tuilagi clan that all came through and guys like Vereniki Goneva who we signed from Tarbes, so we're hopefully going to bolster, certainly in the back line, with similar types.

"Players like Goneva or the Tuilagis or (Nico) Matawalu that give us a bit of X-factor because all the good teams in Europe have one, two or three of those types of players that give you something for nothing. Vili gives us that and we probably need a little bit more of it."

Cotter under pressure at Montpellier

Vern Cotter is reportedly battling to hold on to his job as head coach at Montpellier, according to reports in France, with La Rochelle coach Xavier Garbajosa linked with the role.

The former Scotland boss is in the second year of a three-year deal at the French Top 14 club, but this season has been nothing short of a disaster

Montpellier were knocked out of the Champions Cup by Edinburgh and are struggling in the league. They are currently in ninth, with just six wins in 17 matches and 13 points off qualification for the end-of-season title play-offs.

Boudjellal (and family) continue to bite

The war of words between the Boudjellal family and what appears to be the whole of New Zealand is showing no sign of abating.

Fresh from owner Mourad Boudjellal's scathing attack on Julian Savea's form, his daughter - Rose - has joined in, grabbing headlines in France by sarcastically tweeting, "Julian Savea's outstanding match", in reference to the former All Black's poor showing against Agen and his underwhelming performances for the club in general since joining last year.

And while Rose continues the Savea-bashing, Mourad has picked a fight with Andrew Mehrtens. The former New Zealand fly-half - who spent a season playing at Toulon in 2007 - revealed his experiences of working with Boudjellal to The New Zealand Herald last week, saying: "I have no animosity towards him (Boudjellal). There are elements about him that are good. He was the son of Algerian immigrants, and I think he had it tough growing up. He comes from a macho culture. I read once he said his wristwatch was so expensive, he 'had an apartment on my wrist'.

"For Mourad the thrill is like a kid playing in a fantasy football league. He loves signing the big names, the bigger the better. If he went to an agent and said, 'Get me the best five players in the world', and was told, 'But the best five players are all full-backs', he might say, 'Get me all five anyway'.

"He'd come in and tell us we're all s***, and that no matter what it cost him, if we didn't win he'd rip up all our contracts, and we'd never play for another club in France."

And Boudjellal being Boudjellal, he has wasted no time in responding, tweeting: "Merhtens is a very, very great player but also a very large film actor, he played the saloon doors in Rio Bravo and the bar counter in the 7 mercenaries."

Canadian rugby league club offers SBW £3m

A Canadian rugby league side is reportedly willing to pay All Blacks centre Sonny Bill Williams £3 million to lure him back to the 13-man game.

The Toronto Wolfpack, who play in the Championship, one tier below Super League, have made an offer to secure Williams' services on a one-year deal after meeting with the player's agent, Khoder Nasser.

The club's owner, David Argyle, told Fox Sports: "We are working towards making Sonny Bill Williams a Wolfpack player for 2020. We would love to have him join the Wolfpack family and we will pay whatever it takes to make that happen."

Warburton came close to joining Toulon

Sam Warburton has revealed he turned down a big-money move from Cardiff Blues to Toulon in 2014.

The former Wales captain held talks with the French club and, at that time, several Wales internationals - Gethin Jenkins, Dan Lydiate and Jamie Roberts - were playing in France.

Appearing on BT Sport's Rugby Tonight, Warburton said. "I actually flew out, and met the guys out there, and stayed overnight and stuff. But I don't think it would have sent a good message as captain of my country going away to France, so I decided to stay."

Aviva Premiership transfers 2019/20

BATH

IN: Lewis Boyce (Harlequins), Christian Judge (Cornish Pirates), Will Stuart (Wasps), Mike Williams (Leicester Tigers), Josh McNally (London Irish)

OUT: Darren Allinson (released), Rhys Priestland (released), Dave Attwood (Bristol Bears)

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BRISTOL

INS: Nathan Hughes (Bristol), Dave Attwood (Bath)

OUTS:

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EXETER

INS: Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors)

OUTS: Santiago Cordero (Bordeaux), Jack Owlett (Wasps)

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GLOUCESTER

INS: Joe Simpson (Wasps)

OUTS: Paddy McAllister (Connacht), Ben Vellacott (Wasps)

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HARLEQUINS

INS:

OUTS: George Merrick (Clermont), Alofa Alofa (Bayonne), Lewis Boyce (Bath)

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LEICESTER TIGERS

INS: Jordan Taufua (Crusaders)

OUTS: Matt Toomua (Melbourne Rebels), Mike Williams (Bath), Graham Kitchener (Worcester Warriors), Mathew Tait (retired)

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NEWCASTLE FALCONS

INS: Greg Peterson (Bordeaux)

OUTS: Sami Mavinga (Stade Francais), Andrew Davidson (Glasgow Warriors)

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NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

INS: Matt Proctor (Hurricanes), Owen Franks (Crusaders), Darren Dawidiuk (Coventry, loan)

OUTS: Luther Burrell (Warrington Wolves), Jamal Ford-Robinson (Coventry, loan)

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SALE SHARKS

INS: Jake Cooper-Woolley (Wasps), Robert du Preez (Sharks), Akker van der Merwe (Sharks)

OUTS: Andrei Ostrikov (Grenoble)

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SARACENS

INS: Elliot Daly (Wasps)

OUTS: Chrisopher Tolofua (Toulon), Reuban Bird-Tulloch (Northampton Saints), Sione Vailanu (Wasps), Schalk Burger (released)

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WASPS

INS: Malakai Fekitoa (Toulon), Jeff Toomaga-Allen (Hurricanes), Jack Owlett (Exeter Chiefs), Ben Vellacott (Gloucester), Matteo Minozzi (Zebre), Sione Vailanu (Saracens), Mike Daniels (Nottingham)

OUTS: Jake Cooper-Woolley (Wasps), Ambrose Curtis (Vannes), Nathan Hughes (Bristol Bears), Matt Mullan (released), Willie le Roux (TBC), Will Stuart (Bath), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Joe Simpson (Gloucester)

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WORCESTER WARRIORS

INS: Graham Kitchener (Leicester Tigers), Conor Carey (Connacht), Jono Kitto (Northland), Melani Nanai (Blues), Ed Fido (Provence)

OUTS: Pierce Phillips (Agen), Gareth Milasinovich (Ulster), Bryce Heem (Toulon)