The Southern Kings have confirmed that captain and hooker Michael Willemse is negotiating a move to Edinburgh at the end of the season.
An earlier reported suggested that Willemse had already signed for the Scottish side, but the player on Monday confirmed no deal has been done yet.
Kings COO Charl Crous said Willemse has, however, informed them of his intentions to move once the season ends.
‘Michael Willemse has spoken to us to indicate that he and his agent are in the advanced stages of talks with Edinburgh for a possible move to the Scottish team,’ Crous said in a statement.
‘Michael has been an integral part of our team and has emphasised his commitment to the Kings until the end of his contract with the franchise.’
Willemse, who is a former scholar at Grey High School in Port Elizabeth, joined the Kings ahead of their final Vodacom Super Rugby season in 2017, where he quickly established himself as one of the key players for the side.
The former SA U20 player is contracted to the Kings until the end of June.
