British sprinter Mark Cavendish is in the transfer market to extend his career and continue racing into 2023.

37-year-old Mark Cavendish had expressed interest in a backroom staff role at Quick Step Alfa Vinyl during negotiations that led to a one-year contract extension last winter.

Cavendish, who made an impressive comeback from years of illness and injury last season, has started the 2022 campaign strong and is eager to continue winning sprints and races.

He has turned to a new rider agent, Martin Berkhout of SEG Cycling, to help him find the best possible riders for 2023. Berghouts, who together with his brother heads the cycling division of the SEG agency, represents world tour riders such as Dylan van Baarle and Bauke Mollema.

Thus, a move away from Quick Step is increasingly likely. Cavendish believes that his Belgian team from 2013-2015 revived his career in 2021 and did not seriously look elsewhere at the end of that season.

This week, however, Wielerflits (opens in new tab) reported that Cavendish's services for 2023 have already been offered to a number of WorldTour teams. In an interview with Cycling News, Quick-Step Alfa Vinyl boss Patrick Lefebvre said that no negotiations had yet taken place.

Internal tensions over selection for the Tour de France continue, with Fabio Jacobsen the leading candidate for the sprint, despite Cavendish winning four stages last year and tying Eddy Merckx's all-time record of 34 victories. Cavendish is currently competing in the Giro d'Italia, where he won the third stage, but is concerned that the Tour will become a rivalry that threatens his friendship with Jacobsen.

In addition to the Jacobsen issue, Cycling News reports that Lefebvre has expressed interest in acquiring the Belgian sprinter for 2023.

Tim Merlier is a former cyclo-cross rider who has stage wins at the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia among his victories in the past two seasons.

Cavendish nearly ended his career at the end of 2020 after a barren few years suffering from the Epstein-Barr virus and depression. He was handed a lifeline by Lefebvre and made an amazing comeback, returning to victory in the Tour of Turkey before Sam Bennett's knee injury opened the door to that dream Tour de France.

Negotiations for a contract extension began early but dragged on into the winter, with Lefebvier content to offer Cavendish another year, but still looking to him for a post-race management or coach-like role.

That role was never publicly confirmed, and the possibility arose that Cavendish would move elsewhere in 2023.