The Wales star has opened talks with Bristol Bears as he weighs up his options for the future amid interest from elsewhereRees-Zammit has impressed for Bristol Bears so far this season(Image: Bob Bradford – CameraSport via Getty Images)

Louis Rees-Zammit enjoyed the best moment of his Bristol Bears career so far over the weekend, as he scored a superb solo try to help his side to a 40-14 thumping of Harlequins at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.

Deployed at full-back, the Welshman impressed again at Big Game 17, as he put his side 26-0 up at half-time by racing clear and chipping the ball over the top of the Quins defence to score, with Bears boss Pat Lam singing his praises at full-time.

Due to injury, Rees-Zammit has been restricted to just six performances for the Gallagher PREM side since returning to rugby from the NFL, but he has scored three tries and proved a very popular addition to the squad.

“Louis has fitted in really well after returning from his NFL spell in the States,” Lam told the BBC. “He’s an outstanding lad who can switch from wing to full-back, where he played tonight. He can do special things and that’s what he did here with his try.”

Last month, the 24-year-old spoke of his enjoyment at being back in rugby with Lam’s side, as he said: “I absolutely love it. It’s so good to be back in the Premiership. It’s amazing to be at Bristol as well.

“The whole club, my team-mates, they’ve all made me feel so welcome. The supporters as well. We get such a good turnout every week.”

But having only signed a one-season deal with the Bears, Rees-Zammit is already having to weigh up his options for the future and has entered negotiations with the club as he decides whether to extend his stay in the West Country or move elsewhere.

The Wales international had been set to join Mike Tindall’s rebel league R360 next year, but with the project’s launch date pushed back to 2028, his future has been left up in the air.

It recently emerged that Rees-Zammit turned down a lucrative offer from Newcastle Red Bulls before his proposed R360 move collapsed, with RugbyPass reporting that he said no to a three-year deal worth an astonishing £600,000-a-season.

Newcastle aren’t the only team to show interest in the 35-cap international, however, with a number of French clubs also reportedly keen on acquiring his services.

Whether he chooses to move elsewhere in the PREM or look overseas remains to be seen, but Rees-Zammit is thought to be keen to stay at Bristol, as he commutes to training and matches from his home in Cardiff.

Having allayed any concerns over the slight gamble Bristol took in signing him in the summer, he has quickly become a favourite amongst fans, coaches and team-mates, but any decision over his future is set to come down to money.

The Daily Mail reports that a contract extension with the Bears hinges on an improved salary package being offered to the Welshman, who currently earns around £220,000 with Lam’s side.

After impressing on the pitch and proving that he is still one of the most marketable assets in the game, Rees-Zammit will be after a wage increase, particularly with PREM rivals prepared to stump up nearly three times his current salary to sign him.

While, as BristolLive reports, Bears owner Stephen Landsdown has tightened the purse strings in recent years after the club’s ‘Galacticos’ era, they are still operating well within the salary cap this season, meaning they have scope to spend on the Welshman to keep him at Ashton Gate.

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