Greg Inglis has been shopped to European rugby clubs for 2016 in the biggest indication yet that this will be his last season with South Sydney.

Fairfax Media can reveal the Inglis camp has engaged an overseas agent to offer the star's services to French clubs at the starting price of 800,000 euro (A$1.17 million). Widely regarded as the game's best player, 'GI' is contracted to the Rabbitohs until the end of 2017. However, the club granted fellow superstar Sam Burgess an early release from his deal to allow him to pursue his dreams in the 15-man code.

The loss of Inglis, so soon after the departure of Burgess and Sonny Bill Williams and Jarryd Hayne to rival codes, would be an unmitigated disaster for the NRL. The Queensland and Australian fullback is already the captain of his club, the face of the game and is tipped to become a future Immortal. The 28 year old is also the ultimate posterboy for the code, particularly given his status as a role model in the indigenous community.

Getty Images Sam Burgess and Greg Inglis.

However, he almost walked away from league previously, to join AFL powerhouse Essendon, with the latest developments suggesting he is again craving a new challenge. Overseas sources confirmed Inglis had been shopped to cashed-up clubs, who could afford to table salaries that would dwarf what he could earn by remaining with the premiers. It's expected negotiations with English and French clubs will intensify when Inglis leads the Rabbitohs squad for their World Club Series campaign against St Helens at Langtree Park.

Recently promoted French Top 14 club Lyon, whose head coach is Australian Tim Lane, was one of the franchises offered Inglis' services for 2016.

"His manager has gone through an agent who works in France and is seeing if there is interest in him coming over to rugby union," said Lyon's defensive coach, David Ellis.

"His name has been bandied about. I think the reason that the agent has gotten in contact with us is because we've got Tim Lane as director of rugby, there's myself as defence coach and we've got Scott Wisemantel, another former Australian rugby league player, on our staff as well.

"Obviously when his name was mentioned I said 'yes' but when we got to talking it was far too much for us.

"They were talking about 800,000 [euro]."

NRL chief executive Dave Smith has given himself discretionary powers to recruit or retain marquee players over and above the salary cap. As yet, the secret fighting fund hasn't been tested but Inglis, as a former Clive Churchill Medallist and Golden Boot winner, would surely qualify. However, there would be a backlash from rival clubs if Souths, already the premiers, were given an even bigger advantage over the rest of the competition.

The fact that Rabbitohs young gun Alex Johnson, an aspiring fullback, is coming off contract at the end of the year only adds further intrigue to the situation.

Ellis, who played against the father of the Burgess quartet, predicted the cash available overseas couldn't be matched in Australia.

"Some of the top clubs like Toulon and Racing Metro, I'd imagine they are the two with the budget and financial backing that would go for him," he said.

"If you would say a favourite, Toulon would be that because their owner is always after the best and Greg Inglis is probably the best rugby [league] player at the moment.

"Lyon is a club which was promoted last year, we're in the Top 14 this year and it will take us two or three years to get established in the league.

"After that we'd be interested but that would probably be too late for him. But for clubs like Toulon, Racing Metro and one or two others, they would be very interested in him.

"I would imagine it wouldn't take Greg Inglis too long to adapt [to rugby], he would do it very quickly."