Wales and British and Irish Lions full-back Liam Williams is to leave Cardiff after securing a move to Japan.

But Cardiff were keen to offload one of their highest earners from the wage bill as the club faces a £2m budget cut for next season.

Having been capped 84 times by Wales, Williams remains eligible for the national side and is expected to be part of their World Cup plans.

He will be allowed to join the as yet unnamed Japanese club after the World Cup, should he be selected for a third successive finals.

However, the move is understood to be dependent upon passing a strict medical examination because of his long history of injuries.

Williams joined Cardiff from Scarlets before the 2022-23 campaign, but made just four appearances in his first season because of a series of injuries.

He is the latest international to leave Welsh regional rugby.

Fellow Test players Joe Hawkins (Exeter), Cory Hill (Japan), Rhys Webb (Biarritz), Tom Francis (Provence), Ross Moriarty (Brive), Will Rowlands (Racing 92) and Dillon Lewis (Harlequins) will all move abroad next season.

Six Nations teammates Leigh Halfpenny, Gareth Anscombe and Rhys Patchell also face uncertain futures having been released by their regional sides.

Cardiff's annual budget is set to be cut by £2m - from £7.2m to £5.2m - next season, reducing to £4.5m for the 2024-25 campaign for each of the four leading Welsh teams.

Williams will be the 17th player through the Arms Park exit this summer, while uncertainty still surrounds the future of head coach Dai Young, who was suspended pending an investigation into complaints over his behaviour towards club employees.

A new six-year deal between the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and the teams was signed in March.

But the deal - a new Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA) that will run until 2029 - required a number of organisations to give their approval, including the Welsh Government.

The contract required Welsh Government consent because of a current loan agreement it holds with the WRU and regions but clubs have complained of cash-flow problems caused by delays in the funding delivery.