Ambitious French rugby club Racing 92 have lit the fuse on what's likely to be a serious bidding war for the services of All Blacks captain Kieran Read post-2019.
The Parisian club say they have already waved a tempting contract offer under the nose of the All Blacks No 8 who has confirmed he will likely finish his playing career overseas after he concludes his New Zealand commitments with the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
Respected French rugby newspaper Midi Olympique has reported that Racing have already put an offer in front of the 115-test 33-year-old and are awaiting his response.
According to the paper, Racing have made the pursuit of Read their No 1 priority, having previously signalled their interest in signing All Blacks midfielder Ryan Crotty.
Read has had a storied All Blacks career that has seen him play a key role in back-to-back World Cup triumphs and establish himself as one of the finest No 8s on the planet.
He took over the national captaincy after the post-2015 World Cup retirement of Richie McCaw and has made a fine fist of the leadership role.
Read, who has fought back from major back surgery at the end of 2017, told the NZ Herald he and his family were leaning towards finishing his career with an overseas experience, though retirement was also an option.
"We have always thought as a family that we would like to go overseas and use that experience for the kids," Read said of his future after 2019. "That is probably the main option at the moment."
Racing will not be the only club in the race for the veteran No 8's services, with French Top 14 rivals and outfits from Japan, England and Ireland likely to also pursue his highly sought-after signature.
Read will lead the All Blacks out against England at Twickenham this weekend in the first of back-to-back blockbuster tests against the top teams in the north.