Joey Carbery should stay with Leinster, according to the province's senior coach Stuart Lancaster.
The versatile back, who is the preferred back-up option at out-half for Ireland behind Johnny Sexton, has been linked with a move to Ulster.
It is known that Joe Schmidt and the IRFU are frustrated at the lack of game-time the 22-year-old Athy man gets at fly-half with Ross Byrne slotting in when Sexton is rested.
It is understood that Schmidt wants Carbery or Byrne to switch to Ulster to allow the New Zealand-born player more time at 10.
Lancaster also insisted that it's not something that distracts from the goal this week - a Champions Cup final against Racing 92 in Bilbao on Saturday.
"Joey has developed brilliantly at Leinster and I think this is where he should stay," the former England coach told reporters as he confirmed that talks are ongoing about the situation.
"I don't know [if he's staying], if I'm being perfectly honest.
"I've not been privy to the conversations. They've been taking place with Leo [Cullen], Ireland, Guy Easterby, etc.
"So, as far as I know, Joey is preparing for a Champions Cup final and that's the way it is.
"It's such a big week for us.
"I understand both sides of the story, I can see it from all points of view.
"I've been involved in situations in England with a player who has a decision to make and my belief has always been that you put the player at the centre and you do what's right for the player.
"How it fares out, I don't know if I'm being honest.
"It's certainly the furthest thing from our minds and, I'm sure, Joey's mind this week.
He added: "It's difficult, these things inevitably come up towards the end of the season which is when the competitions are.
"I come back to the point that I made, whenever I was in this position or involved with a player who had a decision to make I always tried to say 'right, what's the best thing for the player?'
"Not what's right for this party or that party, what's right for the player."
Leinster are bidding for their fourth European Cup star and received a boost last week when the news filtered through that the influential scrum-half Maxime Machenaud would miss out through injury.
Lancaster acknowledged that the France international, who was the team's place-kicker, is a massive loss.
He said: "It's desperately disappointing for him because he's a champion player and we've had a couple of those injuries in the club this year, we know how heartbreaking it is for coaches and players alike.
"Their replacement is very good and we've got people like Sean O'Brien, Josh van der Flier and Fergus McFadden [out injured].
"Every team has these injuries, but it's the depth of the Racing squad that makes them a threat.
"Whoever they bring in is a quality player."
Follow Leinster versus Racing 92 in the Champions Cup final via our live blog on RTÉ.ie and the News Now App from 4pm, or listen to live coverage on RTÉ Radio 1 as Saturday Sport comes from Bilbao.
