Dragons fighting to keep Wales duo Aaron Wainwright and Rio Dyer next season

Rio Dyer and Aaron Wainwright have both come through the Dragons academy

Dragons say they are fighting to hold on to Wales pair Aaron Wainwright and Rio Dyer.

Both players are out of contract at the end of the season, with English sides Leicester and Bristol both linked with moves for number eight Wainwright.

Wales' World Cup wing Dyer is also likely to attract attention, while prop Leon Brown also becomes a free agent.

"We want to keep our best players, it's as simple as that," Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan said.

"To do that we'll make fair and honest offers to allow them to make the best decision for themselves and families.

"I'm sure we might lose players along the way but hopefully not anyone who we want to keep."

Wainwright, 26, has become a leading figure for Dragons and has established himself as the natural successor to Taulupe Faletau for the Wales number eight jersey, as he did before and during the World Cup.

He would remain eligible for his country if Wainwright moved outside of Wales, given his 43 caps, though both Dyer (14) and Brown (23) are short of the 25-cap requirement.

Now Flanagan hopes to convince those players that Dragons remains the best place to continue their stellar rise for club and country.

"Guys like Aaron and Rio are playing really well and Dragons have to take some credit for that with the way we manage players and the group," said Flanagan.

"We are very focused on individual development. We're never going to be able to sign players like Leinster or Racing but hopefully we can bring players at a certain level and take them to the next.

"Perhaps one day then they will eventually outgrow us, but hopefully the club will grow to a level they won't do that in future.

"I'd say to both those players, when you look at the stage they are at in their careers, how they are developing and now peaking, we're the place to continue to do that and I'm sure they're aware of that."

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Dragons, like the other three Welsh regional teams, saw their budget cut to £5.2m this season and further reduced to £4.5m for the 2024/25 season.

"It is difficult. Our budget dropped last year and will again next year but it hasn't been hit as drastically as other regions in Wales because it was never sky-high," Flanagan said.

"We have a squad size that we want to keep and we feel we're in a position to make good offers to those players we need and want, so they can enhance their careers by staying in Wales.

"Rugby in Wales has to stabilise businesses, make sure we get through these 18 months with four regions.

"Our business plan is to spent £4.5m and within that I'm sure we can make competitive offers."

Meanwhile, Argentina scrum-half Gonzalo Bertranou is expected to be out until February with a "significant" knee injury suffered during the European Challenge Cup loss at Pau.