Saints winger Chris Ashton has agreed a three-year contract with Premiership rivals Saracens © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Chris Ashton

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Teams: England | Northampton Saints | Saracens

Saracens have confirmed the signing of England wing Chris Ashton on a "long-term" contract.

Ashton will move to the reigning English champions from their Premiership rivals Northampton for the start of next season with the announcement ending weeks of speculation surrounding the 24-year-old's future. Speaking on Twitter, Ashton said: "I've decided to join Saracens from next season... until then it's all about Saints."

A spokesman for Saracens confirmed the capture of one of the game's deadliest finishers, commenting: "Chris Ashton has signed a long-term contract with Saracens, and the England wing will join the north London club at the start of the 2012/13 season."

A club spokesman added: "We are obviously especially delighted but, for now, Chris remains a Northampton player. Out of respect for Saints, Saracens will not make any further comment on the matter."

Saints boss Jim Mallinder moved quickly to reassure fans that the club would move swiftly to fill the void and bolster the squad elsewhere. "We're obviously disappointed that Chris has decided he wants to play his rugby elsewhere," said Mallinder. "That said, we have known for some time that Chris was looking elsewhere and had been planning to use that part of the salary cap by strengthening our squad in a number of positions.

"We've also got several good wingers at the club who have all been pushing for a first team spot this season, the likes of Jamie Elliott, Vasily Artemyev, Scott Armstrong, Paul Diggin and Noah Cato, plus Anders Mogensen in the Academy who has been playing well on loan for Cambridge. They are all part of our plans going forward and will all contribute massively to the continued development of the Saints."

Ashton has established a reputation as one of game's most exciting talents since switching codes from rugby league side Wigan in 2007. He has scored 15 tries for England in just 18 appearances, including four against Italy at Twickenham during last season's Six Nations tournament, while his Northampton record is just as impressive. Since joining Saints in 2007, he has amassed 90 tries from 106 games. That tally includes a National League One record 39 touchdowns in the 2007/08 season, and 30 from 46 Premiership starts.

He is also a former Premiership Player of the Season, and recently retained his place in England's new-look elite player squad that was unveiled by interim head coach Stuart Lancaster. Ashton, famous for his swallow dive try-scoring celebration, is also likely to be a strong contender for the British & Irish Lions squad that will tour Australia next year.

Despite Ashton's public vow to focus solely on Northampton's season run-in, there is increasing speculation that he will be a bit-part player at Franklin's Gardens between now and the end of the season. Reports suggest that he will not feature for the Saints in their Heineken Cup clash against Munster in Milton Keynes on Saturday and that his relationship with Saints' director of rugby Jim Mallinder has reached an all-time low.

Ashton, who only recently returned to action following a four-week suspension, played against the Scarlets last weekend and he is expected to line up for England in their Six Nations opener against Scotland at Murrayfield on February 4.