The latest Sale update on the Manu Tuilagi contract saga

Sale boss Alex Sanderson believes only a last-gasp offer from France or Japan can stop Manu Tuilagi from signing a new deal to stay in England – a move that would prove Gallagher Premiership clubs can hold onto their marquee players despite the salary cap.

Sanderson has been playing the long ball game with the England centre and after admitting they gave an initial “insulting” offer to Tuilagi, it appears that Sale are now tantalising close to agreeing to a new deal having found more money to pay their highest profile player.

It was two weeks ago, ahead of midweek contract negotiations over a steak lunch in Lymm, that Sanderson explained to RugbyPass his increased optimism that Tuilagi would stick with Sale. “We want him, he wants to stay,” said Sanderson at the time.

“We had no money, then we had a bit of money and now we have got twice as much money than we did have. I’m going to Lymm to sit down with him to see if it’s enough. I know he wants to stay, so this is just a question of whether his family can survive on it and how much he is willing to sacrifice. I guess I will be buying lunch.”

With that lunch meeting over and Sale set to renew their Premiership title bid with this Friday’s trip to Bristol, Sanderson now believes only a mega 11th-hour bid from France or Japan could ruin all of the time he has spent helping to convince Tuilagi to remain in England.

“I am happy to tell you that everything is positive (on Manu) and close. I can’t confirm as yet but it is more positive and closer than it has ever been. Everyone knows that until the cat is in the bag and your chickens have fully hatched, you can’t call it with retention or recruitment – but all the signs are good.

“Manu wants to stay. It was pretty hopeless, but where there is a will and things have happened that weren’t in our control months ago that have allowed us to come back to the table. But until it’s done, people come in as always – the French are late to offer contracts and Japan also. Given the curve balls I have faced in the past, you just can’t put away one of those outlying factors that can affect what we want to happen.

“It is really close. It is in the laps of agents and if it was my decision and you could take agents out of it, then it would have been done weeks ago. I want it done quicker and so does Manu, but it is in the corporate ether.”

Meanwhile, Tom Curry is set to make his comeback following his Guinness Six Nations training ground injury with England. “I have had a few short conversations with Tom.

“The injury is the same injury but on the other leg from what he had pre the Six Nations, so he understands the loading aspect and what he needs to come back in form – which he did against Northampton, he was brilliant. There is a high expectation, but he is a great player and he puts that on himself.”

Dan du Preez will also be involved after he opted to delay a shoulder operation and instead complete the season with the injury strapped. “Dan has loose ligaments in his shoulder and he still needs an operation but has chosen to play which shows you the type of man he is.”