"Huge wages" - Martin Johnson almost left Leicester Tigers for Premiership rival

Below we list some of the great transfers that never happened. Those rumours that resurfaced year after year but never came to fruition.

Sometimes there was genuine interest but the move never came off, sometimes it was a journalist ‘flying a kite', and sometimes an agent or manager would simply put it out there to see if anyone would bite.

Marler's agent reportedly visited the Sale training ground in 2018 with the Sharks reportedly willing to pay a fee to sign the England loosehead. However, the move collapsed as the two clubs could not agree on the transfer fee.

DID YOU KNOW? Marler started his career at Haywards Heath RFC in Sussex where he played in the same side as fellow England international Billy Twelvetrees

Gloucester were linked with Italy star Sergio Parisse back in 2017 when Stade Francais faced an uncertain future due to the possible merger with Racing 92. The Rugby Paper reported that he is on Gloucester's radar but the deal never happened. He's once again been linked with a move to Kingsholm ahead of the 2020/21 Premiership season.

DID YOU KNOW? Parisse was born in La Plata, capital of Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Italian parents. His father, also Sergio, played for the l'Aquila club with whom he won the Italian club championship in 1967 before his job with the Alitalia airline took him to Argentina in 1970.

The England and Leicester Tigers legend revealed on the 'Building Jerusalem' documentary that he was called by Newcastle Falcons and Richmond when the game went professional in 1996. Despite their big-money offer, the second-row was settled where he was.

DID YOU KNOW? Johnson was born in Shirley, Solihull, the second of three brothers – his younger brother Will is a former back row forward for Leicester

According to the Telegraph, the Yorkshire club were ready to make a third bid to attract All Blacks giant Jonah Lomu to England in 2001 - and offer him the chance to star in Super League and for Leeds Tykes in the Zurich Premiership. They were considering a deal which would see 6ft 5ins Lomu play both rugby codes. A £250,000 a year offer was reportedly on the table but this deal never happened.

DID YOU KNOW? He became the youngest ever All Black when he played his first international in 1994 at the age of 19 years and 45 days

Hot on the heels of landing fly half Danny Cipriani for next season, Wasps reportedly made an audacious attempt to bring David Pocock to the Premiership in a potential deal that would make the Australia flanker the highest paid rugby player in the world. According to would offer him a package in excess of the £1.4 million. This would have been one of the biggest transfers ever.

DID YOU KNOW? Pocock was born in Zimbabwe. He grew up on a farm owned by his family, who fled the country during a period of heightened unrest owing to the Zimbabwean government's land seizure and redistribution campaign.