Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill has expressed a desire to keep England lock Geoff Parling at the club next season.
Parling has won 12 caps for England since moving to Leicester from Newcastle Falcons, but with his contract due to expire at the end of the season has been linked with an exit from Welford Road.
Gloucester have been heavily linked with Parling following the announcement earlier this week that club captain Jim Hamilton was set to move to France, but Cockerill has stressed that both Parling and Leicester are keen for the second row to remain at Welford Road.
"There's a deal to be done and I am sure there will be one," said Cockerill to BBC Radio Leicester
"There will be interest in Geoff, as there will be in all the players, but he wants to stay. We have helped him develop, he has worked hard and we want to keep him."
Comments
NHsaints says...
No reason for him to leave, Gloucester need a better front 3, back row and squad depth before they can possibly hope to be at Leicester's level as a club. As TVaddict said...Leicester are always top 4 in the premiership and usually qualify for at least the QF's in the heineken cup...
Posted 20:29 15th December 2012
TVaddict says...
Why would he leave for another premiership club? He's first choice in a team which is consistently finishing in the top 4, qualifying for the Heineken cup, and getting lots of their players selected for England. Unless he's being offered a ton more money I don't see what he has to gain.
Posted 16:22 13th December 2012