Ian Madigan could be returning to Ireland next season, with Ulster keen to snap up the former Leinster out-half this summer.
The Belfast Telegraph report that northern province are closing in on a deal to sign the Dubliner at the end of the season.
Madigan, who can also cover centre and full-back, left the RDS in 2016 to join Top14 side Bordeaux before spending the last two years at Bristol.
The 31-year-old's deal at Pat Lam's side is up at the end of the current campaign and Ulster are seeking back-up for Billy Burns.
Burns is yet to win his first Ireland cap but has been a member of the squad for this season's Six Nations.
Madigan would be linking up with his former Leinster teammates John Cooney, Jordi Murphy, Jack McGrath and Marty Moore at Kingspan Stadium and he's previously indicated an openness to join any of the Irish provinces:
"I'm going through that process at the moment and maybe potentially looking at coming back home, all the Irish provinces are going as strong as ever and you would love to be involved there again, but you just have to wait and see.
"I'd be open to playing at any of the provinces, be that Leinster, Munster, Connacht or Ulster," he told the Irish Independent earlier this year.
There are great things going on with Andy Friend in Connacht and Dan McFarland in Ulster. Munster and Leinster are strong as ever, it would be a joy to play with any of the provinces."
