Ibanez has won 63 caps for France

Melville wants the former France captain, who has been capped 63 times by his country, to replace fellow Frenchman Olivier Azam as the Cherry and White's hooker.

Melville is also tracking Argentine outside-half Juan-Martin Hernandez, who is trying to sort out a European Union passport.

"I will be going to France to meet Raphael Ibanez, but this is an extremely difficult time of the year and the financial situation makes it difficult," Melville told the Gloucester Citizen newspaper.

"The priority is to make sure we are covered during the World Cup - and that means I have to bring in some new players."

Melville will wait for Hernandez to sort out his passport before making his move.

"We are at the exact same stage with Juan - we are waiting on his passport situation," said Melville.

"These things take time but it is a bit closer than it was. He would like to come to Gloucester."

Meanwhile Melville added that Gloucester's defeat in the Zurich Premiership play-offs was because they had not played since the end of the season while Wasps had kept their league form up in the knock-out stages.

"Three weeks off killed us," he said.

"We had a great deal of momentum going before the lay-off. But we just couldn't get our foot back down on the accelerator on Saturday.

"Maybe next year we will not try to win the league but finish a few off the top."