NATHAN Carter looks set to link up with former Sixways favourite Nick Baxter at Birmingham and Solihull after not being offered a playing contract at Worcester.

Sixways officials had hoped a developmental role within Worcester could be found for the flanker but the former Gloucester man has decided to take up the Bees' offer.

Try-scoring hero Baxter moved to Sharmans Cross Road last summer after also failing to win a new Sixways contract.

Worcester's assistant coach Andy Keast was sorry, however, to see Carter go but wished him well.

"He's decided to take up the Birmingham and Solihull offer and you cannot blame him for that," he said. "We couldn't offer him a playing role next season but we had hoped to keep him at the club."

Meanwhile, Worcester's former skipper Alistair Murdoch has met with Exeter Chiefs over a possible move to the County Ground.

The 34-year-old back was not offered a new deal by Brain and is now expected to join up with fellow Sixways exile Tony Yapp who made the switch to Devon earlier this month.

A decision is likely to made next week on whether to keep Chris Yates and Lee Soper at the club.

Yates and Soper are still unsure whether they will be offered a new deal for Worcester's promotion push but they are likely to know within the next seven days.

"We are looking at a number of options in the centre, which include Chris Yates," said director of rugby John Brain.

"We hope to have something finalised in the next week or so. It's a similar situation with the lock. We will hope to have them both sorted out by next week."