PREM giants target return of Kyle Sinckler to English shores

Saracens are being linked with a bid to bring former England and Lions tighthead Kyle Sinckler back to the Gallagher PREM as he looks to make a dramatic return to Steve Borthwick’s squad to play in a third World Cup.

Sinckler, 33, who entered the final year of his contract with Toulon in July, appeared set to close the door on a return to the PREM in September after verbally agreeing to a new two-year deal with Stade Mayol bosses through 2029.

But according to Midi Olympique, they are growing unhappy that the ex-Harlequins and Bristol Bears ace hasn’t put pen to paper on the new deal and is being hawked around for a move home.

Saracens have tightheads Alec Cleary and Tietie Tuimauga in the final year of their contracts and could offer Wandsworth-born Sinckler a chance to return to the capital, where he made over 130 appearances for Harlequins at the start of his career.

Sinckler, who has started five times in the Top 14 this season, is in his third campaign with Le RCT and helped them reach the semi-finals of the Champions Cup and Top 14, and they thought he was staying for another two years.

He had been linked with Exeter Chiefs, who will see Josh Iosefa-Scott move to France next season, and Newcastle Red Bulls in the summer, but French reports say Saracens will face competition to land him from the Bears.

Sinckler has played 68 times for England, including in the 2019 World Cup Final against South Africa, when he was forced out of the game after only two minutes when he collided with team-mate Maro Itoje during a tackle on Makazole Mapimpi.

He helped England reach the semi-finals against the Springboks four years later, but he is ineligible for Borthwick to select as long as he remains on the Côte d’Azur, and Toulon are now weighing up their options and could move on to targets of their own.