Finn Russell breaks silence on potential Bath move after Racing 92 defeat - 'a lot of chatter about it'

Scotland stand-off Finn Russell says that “nothing’s been confirmed” about where he will play his club rugby next year despite reports that he has agreed to join Bath for the 2023/24 campaign.

Finn Russell played for Racing 92 in their defeat by Harlequins on Sunday despite intense speculation about his future.

Speculation has been rife for months that Russell, 30, will depart Racing 92 in the summer, bringing an end to a five-year stint at the Parisian club. An article by the Daily Telegraph on Sunday claimed that the 65-times capped Scotsman met Bath head coach Johan van Graan on Friday and that his move to the English club will be officially confirmed in coming days. As Russell would be a marquee player at the Recreation Ground, it is suggested that he will earn £1million per year as his earnings can be outside of the salary cap, which would make him one of the highest-paid players in Gallagher Premiership history.

Russell was playing on English soil on Sunday as his current club went down 14-10 to Harlequins at Twickenham Stoop in the Heineken Champions Cup and when asked about his future post-match, Russell replied: “No, no the weather’s too bad! La Defense Arena is indoors! There’s been a lot of chatter around that. Nothing’s been confirmed but there’s a lot of chat around it. I’m leaving most of that with my agents. I like to get it all done and dusted before Christmas so hopefully we’ll have something announced.”

Russell has been in talks with Racing about a contract extension, although media reports in France intimate that the two parties are some way apart on his wages. A potential move to the Japanese top flight has also been mooted but a move to England, and Bath, still appears the most likely outcome ahead of a huge 2023 for the in-demand playmaker and Scotland, who have ambitions of succeeding at both the Six Nations and the World Cup next year.