Wales star Ioan Lloyd to leave Scarlets for Welsh rivals in shock move as Costelow stays
Wales playmaker Ioan Lloyd is set to sign for Cardiff, WalesOnline can reveal.
The 23-year-old has made the shock decision to leave the Scarlets in favour of a move to the Arms Park. Lloyd is a deadly broken field runner and is one of the most naturally gifted players in Wales.
The seven times-capped Wales international left Bristol Bears for the Scarlets in 2023 in a bid to shed the utility back label and establish himself as a permanent outside-half. Initially it worked out for Lloyd who won a recall to the Wales squad for the 2024 Six Nations, but he was left out of the summer tour to Australia with Warren Gatland insisting he wanted a more physical option in the number 10 jersey.
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Lloyd has enjoyed his fair share of minutes in the number 10 jersey at the Scarlets but with Wales outside-half Sam Costelow also at the club the versatile Lloyd was always going to slot in at full-back from time to time. While losing Lloyd would be a blow for the Scarlets, WalesOnline understands they have succeeded in retaining Costelow who was attracting serious interest from Leicester Tigers.
From Cardiff's point of view they will be delighted to have won the battle to sign Lloyd who was a member of their academy before leaving for Clifton College and the Bristol Bears academy. Cardiff had been interested in bringing Lloyd back to the capital prior to his move to Llanelli.
Lloyd should fit into Matt Sherratt's free-flowing brand of rugby at the Arms Park and will compete with Callum Sheedy for the number 10 shirt, with Tinus de Beer set for the exit.
Quite where de Beer will end up is unclear, with the Dragons having been linked alongside some French clubs. However, it's understood the Gwent side are nearing a deal for a new fly-half.
The Scarlets have started looking for replacements for Lloyd. Wales fly-half Sam Davies was approached, but the Grenoble playmaker has already penned a three-year deal to stay in France.
