Madigan could have major Bristol fight on his hands next season following transfer speculation

Exiled Ireland international Ian Madigan could find himself battling it out for the Bristol No10 jersey with a surprise rival next season. 

Madigan signed up for the Pat Lam revolution in the west country on a three-year deal in 2017 and spent the first season of that contract in the unglamorous surroundings of the Championship after the club were relegated from the Premiership in between him singing on the dotted line and his arrival in England from French outfit  Bordeaux. 

He has since started in nine of his 14 Premiership appearances for Bristol this season back in the top flight, and he also impressed off the bench in their last league outing as it was his last-gasp touchline conversion that grabbed a two-point away win at Northampton.

However, rather than battling it out with just Callum Sheedy for the shirt, Madigan could finds himself having way more competition on his hands next term if the Sunday edition of the UK Rugby Paper is to be believed.

They are reporting that Danny Cipriani, the maverick Gloucester out-half, has a break clause in the two-year deal he struck with David Humphreys that is apparently worth an estimated annual salary of £190,000. 

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With Rhys Priestland having already signalled his intention to leave Bath at the end of this season, there have been enquiries from The Rec about whether Cipriani might be tempted away from Kingsholm at the end of is first season there. 

This reported dialogue from Bath has also alerted the interest of Bristol who are said to be waiting in the wings to learn if Cipriani genuinely has itchy feet and wants a change of scenery. 

Danny Cipriani, in action at the start of the month for Gloucester at Bristol, has been linked with a possible switch to Pat Lam's side (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)

Madigan’s last appearance for Ireland came in June 2016, as his switch to France that summer resulted in Joe Schmidt excluding him from selection from there on. 

A switch to Ashton Gate would be attractive to Cipriani given the number of stellar southern hemisphere names on Lam’s roster, but it would surely complicate Madigan’s contract renewal talks next season with his current deal set to expire in summer 2020.