Key Leicester Tigers players to stay at club after pay stand off

George Ford and Ellis Genge are set to re-sign with Leicester Tigers today after reports that the two players have agreed terms for new deals with the club.

It is understood yesterday that Ellis Genge, George Ford, Manu Tuilagi, Greg Bateman and Kyle Eastmond (among others) were refusing to take pay cuts and that the Welford Road based side could be set to stand them down from training.

A report in The Times confirmed that Genge and George Ford both agreed terms on new deals with Leicester before today’s 5pm deadline.

The Telegraph’s Charlie Morgan revealed over the weekend how as much as third of the squad at up in revolt over the new payouts. Tigers’ players have already been hit with 25 per cent reductions to their salaries, and the club are now looking to make further reductions through negotiating new contracts.

Earlier today Genge posted an image of a croissant on his social media followed by another tweet including sushi.

This led some fans to suggest that these emojis were linked to him possibly making a move to France or Japan.

If Genge were to have agreed a move abroad, this would have put him out of contention to play for England.

The vast majority of the Gallagher Premiership had been driving home new pay cuts before the June 18th Premiership Rugby Ltd deadline, a date prior to which any contract will be considered current and thus able to be counted at just 75 per cent for the purpose of the new £5 million salary cap.

The Telegraph report that many Leicester Tigers players missed that crucial deadline, and the club have now set their own deadline of July 2nd for the outstanding players to sign new contracts,  a day before Steve Borthwick officially starts work as the Premiership side’s new head coach.

The Times report that the England internationals were among a dozen Leicester players initially declined to sign new contracts that were offered as part of the club’s urgent bid to reduce its wage bill.