James Fender will leave Ospreys at the end of the season to join Grenoble on a two-year deal.
The 24-year-old lock had been pursued by the French Pro D2 club before the start of the current season, but the move fell through.
He will now link up with former Ospreys and Wales fly-half Sam Davies, who said in a club press release: “Compared by many as the heir to Welsh legend Alun Wyn Jones, he [Fender] will bring physical strength as well as real playing intelligence to both attack and defence”.
Fender, a former Wales Under-20 international, was part of Wales’ senior squad last autumn, but was uncapped by head coach Steve Tandy.
His departure announcement comes amid growing uncertainty surrounding Ospreys’ future, with the region’s owners Y11 Sport & Media in talks with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) to buy rivals Cardiff.
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