Gloucester 'spending everything they can' on players, says CEO Stephen Vaughan

Flanker Ross Moriarty has won 17 caps for Wales

Gloucester are "spending everything they physically can" on retaining their best players and recruiting new ones, says chief executive Stephen Vaughan.

Wales international Ross Moriarty, Henry Trinder and Motu Matu'u are out of contract at the end of the season.

Gloucester are fifth in the Premiership after the 23-17 win over Saracens, but Vaughan wants further improvement.

"We're definitely getting better [but] we're not going to go over the top with how good we are just yet," he said.

Johan Ackermann's side are unbeaten at Kingsholm this season, but despite their success on the pitch, some of their players have been linked with moves away from the club.

Moriarty, who is currently out injured, is reportedly a target for the Dragons, while Harlequins are said to be monitoring Trinder, and Matu'u could join Bristol.

"I try not to speculate on rumour and gossip because there's a lot of it around and most of it is utter nonsense," Vaughan told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"We're extremely active. I don't think it's right to be commenting on other people, but in terms of our own players, we're working very hard to secure the ones we want to keep here.

"We've done a lot of work to secure some great additions for next season."

Vaughan, who was appointed by Gloucester in December 2012 after working on the London Olympics, says the club are operating at full tilt in player recruitment.

"We're there at the full salary cap, we're having the marquee players, spending everything that we physically can to keep moving the team further forward up the table and making the whole product better," he said.

"I think we're starting to see little shoots of that. We're not going to get carried away but we're enjoying the journey so far."