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- Saracens have agreed a transfer fee with Racing 92 to secure Farrell’s return
- Farrell will be joining Saracens on a five-year deal as a player and coach
- The move opens up the possibility of Farrell earning and England recall
Owen Farrell will return home immediately after Saracens agreed a transfer fee with Racing 92.
The Parisian club have agreed to release Farrell from his contract for a fee of €200,000 (£170,000), paving the way for one of rugby’s biggest homecoming stories.
Farrell still owns his home near the Saracens training ground and will begin the process imminently, agreeing a five-year deal as a player coach.
His return could open the door to him representing England again, although previously he previously ruled himself out of international selection.
Saracens coach Mark McCall has made no secret of his ambitions to bring back Farrell, with a long-term injury to Alex Lozowski freeing up an injury-dispensation allowance within the salary cap.
‘We think we’re a bit vulnerable at 10, to be honest,’ said McCall. ‘We’ve got quite a lot of 12s and 13s, but we’re vulnerable at 10 because Alex Goode’s retired and he’s played 10 a lot for us. We’ve got Fergus [Burke], we’ve got Louie and then we’ve got no one else.’
Owen Farrell will return home immediately after Saracens agreed a transfer fee with Racing 92
Farrell has agreed a five-year deal as a player coach while the move to lead to an England recall
‘When Alex Lozowski gets an injury, then you’re entitled to use an injury dispensation, given the length of the injury, and bring a new player to the club from outside your squad, but he can only play in the same position as the person who’s been injured. Obviously, Alex plays 10, 12, 13 and the player coming in can only come in for the same money or less. So those are your factors.
‘He [Owen] doesn’t have to play 10, he can play other positions as well,’ McCall said. ‘So for our young talents who are developing, it could be a great thing to have him there.
‘It’s not just about having talent, it’s about being able to think properly on the field. I know Owen’s obviously one of the best at that. He and [fellow fly-half] Louie Johnson in particular have a very strong relationship already. They talk every month at least. Owen’s so willing to share his knowledge and his experience with younger players.’
Farrell is not part of the Lions squad to tour Australia, although he is due to travel to Dublin next week to work as a Sky Sports pundit on the opening match against Argentina.
