Sale Sharks signed the English center Manu Tuilagi after his departure from Leicester Tigers.
He was associated with moving to France, but switching to Sale under a contract until the end of 2020-21 will ensure that it remains available for England.
“Manu will be a fantastic commercial and will complement our squad,” said chief Steve Diamond.
“We contacted Manu’s agents and Leicester Tigers last week to discuss the player’s current position.
“After the discussions on Friday, all parties – Leicester Tigers, Manu Tuilagi and Sale Sharks – agreed that the player is a free agent and can start negotiations with another club.”
Despite 20 years of his legendary family’s collaboration with Tigers, Tuilagi’s career in his youth club ended when he was among five players released after refusing to sign a modified contract.
Tuilagi’s existing Leicester contract, which he signed last year due to the interest of the French top 14 team Racing 92, had one year left.
After leaving Welford Road on July 1, he was again connected to moving to France – a move that would have restricted his international career – but Sale has acted quickly to secure his services at a cheaper price.
Haie are currently second in the table and will face Harlequins on August 14, the first national rugby union game since the Coronavirus season break.
