Although the Manchester club are suffering dwindling attendances - only 3,947 saw Friday’s victory over Saracens - they have been busy tying up the key players for an assault on the Heineken Cup, European rugby’s major competition, next season.

Last week, Mallinder signed a similar extension, while club captain Bryan Redpath spurned the advances of champions Leicester to pledge his future to the Heywood Road club, along with Mark Cueto and Andy Titterrell.

Sale are currently battling for second place with London Irish and Gloucester in the Zurich Premiership and with a Parker Pen Shield semi-final against the Cherry and Whites to come at the weekend, Diamond is looking forward to a successful future for the club.

And he promised there would be further announcements to come.

‘‘Jim and I are mapping out the club’s future and we believe, with the players that we have and those we are developing in our academy, that our prospects are good,’’ he said.

‘‘We have some way to go to catch Leicester Tigers but we are on our way.

‘‘I like to think that the way the players are backing us means that we must be on the right lines.

‘‘There may be more fashionable clubs but we have a happy squad here and endeavour to play an attractive style of rugby.

‘‘Jim and I hope to announce more signings in the near future and we are well on the way to formulating the squad for next season.’’