Sean O'Brien could be running out in the Top 14 next term © Getty Images

Enlarge

Leinster and Ireland flanker Sean O'Brien has said he would consider moving to France at the end of the season.

O'Brien, who started the third Test for the British & Irish Lions in the summer, is one of Ireland's top players and with his contract up at the end of the season, is attracting interest from across the Channel. Racing Metro and Clermont are understood to be interested in O'Brien's services with both sides likely to be offer a better financial package than his current province Leinster.

And O'Brien has admitted he would be foolish not to ponder offers from the Top 14. He told Newstalk: "It is something that I would have to consider. At the minute, I am playing for Leinster and Ireland and I love playing for both sides. That's where I want to be. I have to take into consideration my best interests. I have to look after me. There is a bit of a grey area there."

O'Brien's Leinster team-mate Jamie Heaslip's contract is also up in the summer and if the pair decide to journey to France, then they will follow in the footsteps of Jonathan Sexton who currently runs out for Racing Metro having left Ireland last summer.

But while Sexton is turning out in France, he hopes his former team-mates will stay in Ireland for the good of the national team.

"It might contradictory because I left to play elsewhere," Sexton told RTE. "But I hope guys like Jamie and Sean get tied into long term contracts in Ireland, even if it was a possibility that they'd be joining the club that I am at. I'd still hope that they stay here. It's better for Irish rugby if they stay here."

And Sexton has called on the Irish Rugby Football Union to make offers to the Leinster duo sooner rather than later. He added: "There are some very important players to Irish rugby who are out of contract at the end of the season. I hope they sit down with these guys and get it sorted before it gets messy. They could do it now before there are other clubs sniffing around. They could have done it a few weeks ago."