Lions CEO Rudolf Straeuli has responded to a report linking scrumhalf Faf de Klerk to English club Sale Sharks.

According to Rapport newspaper, Sale are willing to offer the 25-year-old a three-year contract worth R21-million at the end of the current Super Rugby season.

READ: Faf set for big-money move to England

De Klerk, however, still has one year left on his Lions contract, which expires at the end of the 2018 season.

Straeuli has since indicated that the Lions will not grant De Klerk an early release and called for player agents to be reprimanded for entering into negotiation talks with foreign clubs.

'Players have to realise that they have binding contracts and they have to honour them,' Straeuli told Netwerk24. 'We have an important match against the Stormers on Saturday and that is where our focus should be.'

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