Owen Farrell’s future is once again a hot topic following England’s Rugby Union World Cup defeat to South Africa on Saturday night. Steve Borthwick’s side led for large parts of the semi-final battle before succumbing 16-15 after a late Springboks onslaught.

The South Africans will now meet New Zealand in the final at the Stade de France next weekend, with England left to reflect on what might have been. Farrell, meanwhile, is set to dominate the headlines over the next few days, with the Saracens star constantly linked with a cross-code move to rugby league.

Farrell, of course, is the son of Wigan Warriors legend Andy Farrell, current coach of the Ireland rugby union team, with strong speculation of a move to his hometown club. The fly-half is now 32 years old and has recently expressed his admiration for both Wigan and rugby’s younger code.

In a May interview with the Mirror, Farrell admitted: “I constantly wonder if I could do it and if I’d be any good. I adore the sport, enjoy following Wigan, and am totally enamored with the NRL. As much as I can, I watch.

“Until I moved down south, until there was talk of my dad moving to rugby union, I didn’t know what rugby union was. Like, I’d see the England games sometimes and see the World Cup, and I’d see some Six Nations, but I weren’t really into it, if I’m honest.”

Farrell’s current deal with Sarcaens runs until the end of the 2024 season. While there are a lot of pieces to the jigsaw, sources close to Wigan are not ruling out the possibility of what would be a sensational move for both the Cherry and Whites and the Super League competition as a whole.

Wigan, who won the Super League Grand Final after defeating Catalans Dragons 10-2 at Old Trafford last week, have already recruited strong for the 2024 season, adding the likes of Kruise Leeming, Luke Thompson, and Adam Keighran to their ranks. They also have Jai Field, Bevan French, and Harry Smith on their roster, and are understood to have a marquee player slot still available.