Big money offers have reportedly been made to Lawes, who is in his 17th year at Saints, by Provence and Brive, while fellow ProD2 promotion hopefuls Beziers are also said to have entered the bidding.
Lawes, who turns 35 on Friday, had made no secret of the fact that money is the main motivating factor in what will likely be his last professional contract.
Having announced a £1.1 million loss before tax in the year to June 2023, Saints are focused on living within their means and won't be in a position to match those offers from across the channel.
However, the emotional pull of leaving the only club he has ever played for might still count in Saints' favour: Dowson says he very much hopes that the situation will be resolved one way or the other well before the Premiership leaders attempt to pick up where they left off in the first game back after the long break, at Bristol on March 22.
"I don't think it is a million miles away but there is nothing absolute. We are still hoping we can do something but we'll wait and see on that," he said.
Despite protestations from the majority of clubs, Dowson confirmed that next season's salary cap would revert back to the pre-Covid figure of £6.4million.
There needed to be a unanimous 'no' from all 10 Premiership clubs for the salary cap to remain at a more sustainable £5million, but the likes of Saracens and Bristol chose not to read the room and voted to increase it.
Denne historien er fra February 18, 2024-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
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Denne historien er fra February 18, 2024-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Unbeaten Lymm put the Tykes on a leash
LYMM maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign, taking the major scalp of Leeds Tykes and ending the visitors' unblemished start.
Dramatic late win boosts leaders
A LAST-minute converted try saw Tonbridge Juddians snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at Barnes.
England need to be more consistent
I WAS at last week's game against the All Blacks and as much as I enjoyed my first visit to the stadium since the Six Nations, I couldn't help noticing a different attitude of those in control of the stadium's notification system which puts out messages to the crowd.
Cuthbert: Wales have to deliver
ALEX Cuthbert says the pressure on Wales is huge ahead of their opening Autumn Nations Series game against Fiji today.
Anyanwu heads the list of star attractions
TOP 14 transfer speculation is always thoroughly entertaining, and this season has so far been no exception.
Goldthorp can challenge Kildunne for No.15 spot
LOUGHBOROUGH Lightning head coach Nathan Smith is backing Fran Goldthorp to compete with Ellie Kildunne, right, for England's No.15 jersey.
Four-try David calls the shots for Bears
MILLIE David helped Bristol blow Leicester away after scoring four of their 10 tries at Welford Road.
Scott-Young keen to follow his father
TYPICAL of most Australians, Scott-Young Angus has fairly sunny disposition and the loose forward is confident that Saints can soon start to turn things around on the road.
When value for money is not part of the deal
ENGLAND'S bench strategy against New Zealand - goodbye \"bomb squad\", hello \"squib squad\"-has been investigated, psychoanalysed, convicted on all charges and mercilessly sentenced by the entire rugby world and its maiden aunt, so there is no earthly point in returning to the scene of the crime.
'I want to prove my worth to Bath'
OUT-OF-FAVOUR winger RuBath aridh McConnochie is hoping to use the Premiership Cup to lay down a challenge to Johann van Graan and make his selection claims impossible to ignore.
