The 24-year-old, who would likely be able to name his own price if he opted to join the likes of Jonny Wilkinson and Paul Sackey in France, is also held in situ by his medical degree at Cardiff University.

Roberts’ exit would be another hammer blow to Gatland – who has spoken of his preference for players to remain at home - and Wales, who are already resigned to losing mercurial centre James Hook to either Perpignan or Toulouse.

But unless something is set down in black and white, Roberts insists he will look for a change of scenery prior to the 2015 World Cup in England.

“All I said was, whether it be rugby or medicine, I would like to look at something else, that in two years I’ll graduate from university and my contract will be up with the Blues,” he said.

“Any decision would certainly be influenced by this debate and how it concludes.

“If it’s in black and white that if you go abroad you won’t play for Wales I can’t think of any Welsh player with international ambitions who would want to go.

“We have such a small player pool in Wales that if you had the first XV all playing abroad it would be very tough for a national coach.

“At the moment there’s nothing in black and white.

“Warren Gatland says he wants all his players playing in Wales. There’s a reason for that, so that he has control over their availability and training.

“I know this has come up in England recently. The players who have gone have it written in their contracts, supposedly.”