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Manu Tuilagi leaves Leicester, direction Béziers?

The center of the XV of England, who refused that his salary be lowered, was released by his club. His profile interests some Top 14 teams but also Béziers, about to be taken up by an investor from the Emirates.

It’s official. Wednesday evening, the Leicester rugby club announced that it had separated from five players, including the English international center Manu Tuilagi, for failing to find an agreement to make them sign a new contract with a salary lowered. The other four players are Kyle Eastmond, Telusa Veainu, Greg Bateman and Noel Reid. After two months of difficult negotiations, the leaders of the Tigers had issued an ultimatum to Tuesday evening. Several executives of the team, including opener George Ford and pillar Ellis Genge, signed during the day. Not Tuilagi and four of his teammates.

“The players were asked, for the 2020/2021 season only, to accept a 25% reduction, with the possibility later of recovering half of this amount, and to sign an agreement to say that they would not reserve themselves not their rights, “said executive director Andrea Pinchen in a video posted on the club’s website. But the five players mentioned “did not accept”. “We realized that if we were to play in camera until January, then we would have to make significant savings which, let’s be honest, mainly translate into lower player wages,” concluded Andrea Pinchen.

Leicester lost € 5.54m and laid off 31 employees since the start of the pandemic

The best English clubs are trying to rebalance their accounts to cope with the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic which brought the European championships to a halt in mid-March. Leicester, which said it had suffered losses of 5 million pounds (5.54 M €) and laid off 31 employees since the start of the pandemic, had set Tuesday as a deadline for its players to sign a new contract. But the club failed to find common ground with five players including Tuilagi, arguably its biggest loss.

READ ALSO: Manu Tuilagi, the Tiger roars again

The 29-year-old English international (44 caps), born in Samoa, made his debut with the Tigers ten years ago. Tuilagi, who obtained his first cape with the XV de la Rose in 2011, was part of the XV de la Rose having reached the final of the last World Cup in November 2019 in Japan.

The XIII rather than France?

It remains to be seen where it will rebound. His salary claims can be an obstacle for most English clubs. On this side of the Channel, several Top 14 teams do not hide their interest (a year ago, he had refused a gleaming proposal of 2.5 million pounds over three years, or 957,000 euros per year, of Racing 92…). Just like Béziers. The Pro D2 club, which is about to be taken over by a wealthy UAE investor, has already positioned itself. Christophe Dominici, who is actively working on future recruitment, dreams of bringing together a pair of explosive centers by associating Manu Tuilagi and the ex-All Black Ma’a Nonu.

However, there is a double dilemma. Is the English center ready to play in the second division? And to draw, at the same time, a line on the tour of the British Lions next summer with the South African world champions? In addition, the English media insistently report a possible departure towards the XIII.

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