Leicester Tigers have agreed a deal to bring Northampton Saints' fly-half Ryan Lamb to the club next season.
Tigers went into the market after George Ford rejected the offer of a new deal last month.
I understand the club then spoke to Lamb's Saints' team-mate Stephen Myler about a possible move up the A6, but Northampton are understood to have upped their financial offer considerably to keep Myler at Franklin's Gardens.
Tigers then turned their attention to Lamb and I understand they have also spoken to former Tigers player Andy Goode as well, who is leaving Worcester at the end of the season, but is expected to go elsewhere.
With Lamb joining Dan Bowden next season to put pressure on Toby Flood, Tigers will not be short of fly-halves with flair and the ability to make something happen out of nothing.
While Lamb's arrival will not be to everyone's taste, there were eyebrows raised when Anthony Allen trod a similar path from Kingsholm to Welford Road four years ago.
The Tigers environment and coaching staff turned Allen into one of the first names on the team-sheet and they will be hoping that Aussie head coach Matt O'Connor will be able to get the very best out of Lamb, who is also a trustee of the Rugby For Heroes charity.
The 26-year-old spent his formative years playing, alongside Allen, for his home-town club, Gloucester.
Lamb made his debut at Kingsholm aged just 19 and, with him as the club's first-choice fly-half, Gloucester topped the Premiership table in 2006/07 and 2007/08.
He was part of the Cherry & Whites side that lost to Leicester in the 2007 final at Twickenham.
During the time he starred at Gloucester, Lamb's form earned him England recognition with both the England Under-21s and the Saxons.
He moved to London Irish and then Northampton in the summer of 2011 and, with a good fitness record, has been an almost ever-present in the Saints squad over the last two seasons.
He made 30 appearances last year, with 19 starts and he has already made 19 appearances this season, with seven of those coming off the bench.
Lamb's arrival does not necessarily mean the end of Tigers' spending to provide options in the No.10 shirt.
With Flood, Lamb, Bowden and incoming French half-back David Mele all around the same age, Tigers could yet turn their attentions to finding a young, promising fly-half to nurture over coming seasons.
