French clubs have gone cold on signing England and Lions lock Maro Itoje when his contract with Premiership champions Saracens runs out at the end of this season.
Itoje, who will be 29 this month, signed his first professional contract 12 years ago and has won five Premiership titles and three European crowns with Saracens. He is one of the best paid players in the Premiership on £900,000 a season plus £25,000 a match for England, which is proving to be the sticking point.
Itoje, right, signed his bumper deal in 2019 and extended it after Saracens were relegated from the Premiership a year ...