Gavin Henson has left Saracens © PA Photos

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Players/Officials: Gavin Henson

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Teams: France | Saracens | Toulon | Wales

Saracens have cleared the way for Gavin Henson to complete a move to Toulon after releasing the Wales centre from his contract.

Reports in L'Equipe on Wednesday suggested that the 29-year-old was set to make a move to the Top 14 club on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

Henson had signed for Saracens until the end of the current campaign in October, but a club statement confirmed his departure: "Gavin Henson has asked to be released from his contract with immediate effect. The club has agreed to his request."

Chairman Nigel Wray added: "We wish Gavin all the best for the future as he continues his return to the highest level of the game."

A move to Toulon would see him join Jonny Wilkinson in the south of France as a 'medical joker'. The club will lose Wilkinson to England duty for the duration of the Six Nations and are also currently without Argentinian playmaker Felipe Contepomi due to injury, leaving a gap in their playing stocks.

Henson, who is currently nursing a calf problem, made his comeback from a 20-month self-imposed exile as a replacement in Saracens' Boxing Day win over Wasps at Wembley but has started just once for the Premiership side, in the unfamiliar position of outside-centre.

Henson had voiced his concern at not being given any game time in his preferred positions of fly-half and inside-centre, saying last month: "I need to be starting for Saracens to be in the Wales squad.

"I was hoping it would be in time for next month, but I am running out of time. I like to play inside centre, a playmaker role and get the ball in the hand a lot more. That's quite tough at the moment, but I am doing everything I can to try to hopefully make the coach select me as a 10 or 12.

"I have hardly played, but I would like to think I will be good when I get my chance. I think that my skills are there. I just need game time."

Should the deal materialise Henson would be following in the footsteps of former Ospreys and Wales team-mates James Hook and Lee Byrne in signing deals in France, with Perpignan and Clermont Auvergne having secured their signatures respectively.