Sale have targeted former France lock Abdel Benazzi to spearhead next season's Heineken Cup campaign.

Coach Jim Mallinder admitted last week he needed "two or three top quality signings" to give his club the boost they need.

And 33-year-old Benazzi has emerged as a clear favourite to fill a second-row berth after his Saracens contract expired.

Benazzi said: "Sale have contacted me and maybe I will go there because they will play in the Heineken Cup next year.

"I will decide next week."

Saracens' immediate future is shrouded in uncertainty.

Benazzi's second-row partner Scott Murray will quit for Edinburgh during the summer, while the arrival of French prop Christian Califano has apparently been blocked by Toulouse.

Guarantees

New coach Wayne Shelford admitted last week that he has not yet signed a contract with the Vicarage Road outfit, leaving Benazzi in a state of confusion.

"I want to see what the ambitions are for next season," he told the Daily Mail.

"I want to know whether Christian Califano is coming, if Tim Horan is continuing and Wayne Shelford is staying.

"If they cannot give me any guarantees it will help me make up my mind."

Meanwhile, Zurich Championship play-off outsiders Wasps have appointed Alistair McLean as their new chief executive.

One of McLean's first tasks will be to finalise a ground-share move to either Wycombe or Oxford and build the club's profile in their new location.

"The relocation from Loftus Road is a key priority," said McLean, who played social rugby for Wasps for eight years.

"We are determined to make sure that it is done successfully and we start next season on a positive footing."