Gloucester name their asking price for number 8 Zach Mercer
Today at 02:22 PM
Zach Mercer's return to England was supposed to be the fairytale comeback. With just two international caps to his name, the talented back-rower rejoined the Premiership in 2023, aiming to reignite his Test career and make a late surge for Rugby World Cup selection.
But Steve Borthwick had other ideas. The England head coach handed Mercer just one training camp invite that summer before swiftly showing him the door.
Fast forward to 2024, and things haven’t improved. Mercer was left out of the Six Nations squad and ignored once again for the Autumn Nations Series. Unsurprisingly, whispers of Top 14 interest in Mercer’s Premiership future have begun to gather steam.
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Asking price:
Gloucester reportedly slapped a £1 million price tag on Mercer to buy him out of his contract, a three-year deal with an option for an additional season.
In March, Montpellier showed keen interest in bringing Mercer back to France but were rebuffed by the player. The club has since reportedly signed Saracens’ Billy Vunipola instead for the 2024/25 season.
Toulon, however, have not given up on Mercer. According to SportsMail, the 26-year-old recently visited Toulon’s facilities following the conclusion of Gloucester's season.
The report claims Mercer is committed to another season with Gloucester before a potential return to France, which means Toulon would still need to pay a significant fee to buy him out of his contract.
Mercer’s response to being left out for the Six Nations:
Mercer said: "I've been open with Steve, I've told him my opinions on it. I thought I haven't really been given a crack which is what I feel like, to not even be given a game to try and prove myself is tough.
"I just don't feel like he values what I can offer as a player and that's me being honest, I don't think he values what I can bring.
"Obviously I don't fit into the system that he wants to run and, whether I agree with that or not, it is what it is.
"My focus now is on Gloucester and England can take a step aside for the moment."
Borthwick response:
"Zach and I had a conversation last week. We've had a number of conversations over the last couple of weeks with Zach since he's come back from injury.
"We've highlighted areas where players have done well and the areas where they bring a point of difference. It's a competitive arena.
"And [we highlight] areas where we want them to develop them and add to their game. That's the same conversation I had with Zach.
"When I'm talking to a player, I'm basing it in objectivity. I'm basing it on targets for them to go after, and then we can shape a shared understanding of what we're seeing.”
The World’s Most Expensive Rugby Union Transfer Fees
1. Louis Picamoles (Montpellier) – £1.2m
The France number 8 left Northampton to join Montpellier after just one season at Franklin's Gardens for a record transfer fee worth at least £1.3m, as reported by The Guardian in 2017. The move was influenced by pressure from the French federation (FFR) to retain its top internationals under central contracts.
2. Va’aiga Tuigamala (Newcastle Falcons) – £1m
In 1997, Newcastle Falcons signed the powerhouse from Wigan in a deal worth £1m ahead of the first professional Premiership season. Alongside players like Pat Lam and Jonny Wilkinson, Tuigamala helped Newcastle secure the title.
3=. George Ford (Leicester Tigers) – £500,000
In 2017, Leicester Tigers reportedly paid £500,000 to bring George Ford back from Bath, setting a record for transfers between English clubs, according to The Times.
3=. Sam Burgess (Bath RFC) – £500,000
Bath reportedly offered the Rabbitohs £500,000 to release Sam Burgess from his contract and bring him to England, although specific details of the financial agreement were not disclosed in Bath’s statement.
- Cameron Redpath (Bath RFC) – £150,000
Bath paid a six-figure fee to release Redpath from his five-year contract at Sale Sharks. Despite unsuccessful negotiations to retain him, Redpath joined Bath during the 2020 season and was later called up to Scotland’s Six Nations squad.
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