If ever an Irish player was likely to move to the Top 14 for a stint, it would be Simon Zebo.
With his contract up at the end of the season, Munster are currently in negotiations with Simon Zebo, his agent and IRFU High Performance Director David Nucifora.
Munster coach Anthony Foley was asked about rumours linking Zebo to a Toulouse move at the official launch of the Champions Cup, in London, on Wednesday.
He told The Irish Independent, “Simon is a player we want to keep and hopefully that’s achieved.
“If not we’ll cross that bridge when it comes to it but hopefully we will not need to cross it.”
Without naming anyone, Foley did suggest that players’ agents are often agitating to get deals across the line, or negotiations into the open.
In an interview with SportsJOE earlier this year, Zebo said his attention would turn to contract negotiations after the World Cup.
He commented, “[Moving to France] would be way less of a deal. I have a lot of family over there. I speak French, but that is something that I would have to think about come contract time, which is actually quite soon. I’ll be negotiating soon enough… That’ll come when it comes.”
When talk turned to the likes of Matt Giteau and Dan Carter earning in the region of €1m a year, Zebo joked that he hoped he would, one day, be earning a similar amount.
“The way it’s gone,” he mused, “it is catching up with football day by day. These players earning massive contracts in France, getting €30,000, €40,000, €50,000 a month. That’s soccer money, 10 grand a week; even though it might not be the top end.
“There is more and more money coming into the game. It’s great.”
The IRFU’s policy of recent years is to tie up deals for senior players before Christmas. The World Cup may have delayed such negotiations but Zebo, and Munster rugby fans, will hope to hear some positive news soon.
