The former Italy fly-half Ramiro Pez was released by Leicester yesterday after being paid off for the remaining two years of his contract, which were worth more than £150,000.
The Tigers have been linked with several leading outside-halves in recent months, most notably New Zealand's Andrew Mehrtens and Wales's Stephen Jones, but having parted company with Pez they are likely to rely on Andy Goode and Sam Vesty in the position next season, before the return from Japan next summer of the South African international Jaco van der Westhuyzen.
Pez joined Leicester from Rotherham a year ago but played only 13 matches before Van der Westhuyzen was moved from full-back.
"We are satisfied with the settlement, which has allowed both the club and the player to move on," said the Leicester chief executive Peter Wheeler. "We wanted him to be flexible and play at full-back but he only wanted to be considered as an outside-half."
Pez was signed by Leicester's former director of rugby Dean Richards and was one of the players alluded to last January when, after Richards had left the club, the Tigers said in a statement that some of their recent signings had not been up to the mark. "The recruitment business is always difficult," said Wheeler. "Things did not work out with Ramiro as we had envisaged."
The 25-year-old Pez, who was dropped from the Italy squad last season, has yet to find a new club, with relegated Rotherham ruling themselves out. The Titans have also cancelled the remaining year on Guy Easterby's contract to allow the Ireland scrum-half to sign for Leinster.
Leeds yesterday signed the Wales and former Celtic Warriors flanker Richard Parks on a one-year contract.
In Wellington on Saturday the second-row Nathan Sharpe, a target for Wales when Graham Henry took over as their coach in 1998, will captain Australia in the Tri-Nations opener against Henry's All Blacks, in place of the injured George Gregan.
Chris Whitaker has been promoted to start at scrum-half in Gregan's absence and Chris Latham replaces the injured full-back Joe Roff, in the only changes to the team that beat the Pacific Islanders 29-14 in Adelaide 12 days ago.
