Malakai Fekitoa: Wasps sign All Blacks centre from Top 14 side Toulon

Malakai Fekitoa has scored eight tries in 24 appearances for the All Blacks

Wasps have signed New Zealand centre Malakai Fekitoa on an undisclosed-length contract.

Tonga-born Fekitoa, who has scored eight tries in 24 games for the All Blacks, will arrive in the summer from French Top 14 side Toulon, where he is halfway through his second season.

The 26-year-old will link up with fellow All Black Lima Sopoaga, a key factor in Wasps' decision to sign him.

With New Zealand not picking overseas players, Wasps will have him full-time.

"Malakai is a world-class player with bags of talent," said Wasps director of rugby Dai Young.

"He's proven at the top level and to bring someone of his calibre to Wasps is a massive coup."

Fekitoa's signing is a boost for Wasps following news of a series of departures.

It was revealed on Monday that South Africa full-back Willie Le Roux will leave at the end of the season, and England number eight Nathan Hughes will move to Bristol for 2019-20.

The double blow followed last week's revelations that Matt Mullan had left the club and fellow prop Jake Cooper-Woolley is to join Sale.

Wasps also lost two England internationals last summer, Danny Cipriani to Gloucester and James Haskell to Northampton.

Speculation over Elliot Daly?

The departures have inevitably caused speculation, in the wake of the poor season Wasps are having, about the future of their one remaining England star, Elliot Daly.

But despite stories that he might be about to exploit a loophole in his contract allowing him to leave, Fekitoa's signing will be seen as a big show of intention from the Coventry-based club.

"Wasps are a team that play an exciting brand of rugby and are very ambitious," said Fekitoa.

"Hopefully I can help them push forward and achieve silverware in the next few years."

Fekitoa's eight tries for New Zealand include two in the UK that helped New Zealand win the 2015 Rugby World Cup.