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All Black flyhalf Dan Carter is being offered the biggest contract in world rugby - £750,000 from Toulouse for one season in the French Top 14 championship.
Britain's Daily Mail newspaper reported that the bid, doubling the highest salaries in the English game paid to fellow All Blacks Carl Hayman, at Newcastle, and Luke McAlister, at Sale, will outstrip any from the most ambitious British clubs including the Ospreys, who have been in talks with Carter's financial advisers.
The All Blacks can't compete with an offer which will treble his salary and are increasingly resigned to losing their most valuable player when his contract runs out at the end of the year.
The only question is whether the 26-year-old flyhalf signs for Toulouse or Toulon, the Second Division promotion contenders run by former All Black captain Tana Umaga.
Money has been no object to them under the presidency of Mourad Boudjellal.
Any All Black playing outside New Zealand automatically forfeits his right to Test status but Carter can exploit his fame in Europe for 18 months and still be back in ample time for the 2011 World Cup.
A season and a half in Toulouse would earn the star No.10 more than £1million.
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