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Aviva Premiership
Hamilton set for Gloucester exit?
ESPN Staff
December 7, 2012
Gloucester's Jim Hamilton salutes the fans after victory, Bath v Gloucester, Aviva Premiership, Recreation Ground, Bath, February 18, 2012
Jim Hamilton looks set to be lining up in the Top 14 next term © Getty Images
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Gloucester captain Jim Hamilton is set to leave the club at the end of the season and will journey to the Top 14, according to reports.

Hamilton, who was appointed Gloucester skipper at the start of this season, is in the sights of Top 14 big-spenders Racing Metro and Montpellier, according to the Gloucester Citizen. Both clubs will have to buy the lock out of his contract if the transfer comes to fruition but the newspaper claims that Gloucester could not match the lucrative cross-Channel offers on the table.

The 41-cap Scotland second-row is currently in his third season at Gloucester and if he does leave, then director of rugby Nigel Davies will have a massive hole to plug in his lock department. Alex Brown is also currently out with a long-term injury so Gloucester may look at recruiting two new second-rows for next season.

If Hamilton opts to move to Racing Metro then he could link up with Wales duo Jamie Roberts and Dan Lydiate who have reportedly agreed a switch to the Parisian club ahead of next season. They could be joined in Paris by Northampton duo Soane Tonga'uiha and Brian Mujati who have also been courted by Metro while former Saints lock Juandre Kruger is also in their sights.

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