Manly have confirmed Kieran Foran will leave the club at the end of the 2015 NRL season to join Parramatta.

The news ends weeks of speculation that the New Zealand international would link up with for Sea Eagles coach Brad Arthur who now coaches the Eels.

The move is another crushing blow to the Sea Eagles, who are also losing Foran’s halves partner Daly Cherry-Evans after he accepted a big-money Gold Coast offer starting next season.

Foran is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury suffered in Manly’s round one hiding at the hands of the Eels.

Manly CEO Joe Kelly vowed to use the big money available from the exit of five-eighth Foran and Cherry-Evans to go after high profile signings.

“Kieran has been an incredible talent for the Sea Eagles for many years and it’ll be sad for all of us to see him leave at the end of the season,” Kelly said in a club statement.

“I have great admiration for Kieran, not only as a footballer but most importantly as a person.

“The club is now in a position of having the resources necessary to recruit some of the best talent in the marketplace, to ensure that the Sea Eagles remain a dominant team in the NRL.”

Coach Geoff Toovey said he was hugely disappointed to lose Foran, who had been tipped to be Manly’s next captain, but thanked him for his service.

“Kieran is a fantastic player and a wonderful young man,” Toovey said.

“He has played an integral role in the club’s recent on-field successes and will do so for the remainder of this season.

“Kieran has the utmost respect of everyone at the club and we are proud to have seen him develop into the player that he is today.

“While today’s news is disappointing, we respect his decision and will move on quickly to ensure that we’re focused for Friday night’s clash with the Bulldogs at Brookvale Oval.”