Why West Brom should go all out for M’Baye Niang this summer
According to the Express & Star, West Brom have been credited with an interest in Senegalese international striker M’Baye Niang, who currently plies his trade with French club Stade Rennes.
As per the report, the Baggies have held talks with Rennes over a potential loan deal for the 25-year-old, who is also keen on a return to England after spending time on loan at Watford in the Premier League back in the 2016-17 season.
West Brom are on the lookout for a new striker to bolster their attack before the summer deadline next month and also have Huddersfield Town’s Karlan Grant and Watford star Andre Gray on their radar (Express & Star).
Profile
M’Baye Niang started his professional career with Caen in France and made his professional debut in Ligue 1 aged just 16 before earning a move to AC Milan in 2012. He made 79 appearances for Milan in all competitions, while spending time on loan at Montpellier, Genoa, Watford and Torino before joining the latter permanently.
The Senegalese international was immediately loaned out to Rennes and signed a permanent deal with the club after scoring 11 goals in Ligue 1 during the 2018-19 season. That was the first time he managed to hit double digits in a single league campaign and the 25-year-old followed it up with 10 goals in 26 league appearances last term.
Niang could be the man to solve West Brom’s No.9 crisis
West Brom currently have three recognised centre-forwards in their ranks, with Charlie Austin, Hal Robson-Kanu, and Kenneth Zohore competing for a place up top. However, Bilic has turned a blind eye to their presence in the set-up so far, with the Croatian opting to deploy Callum Robinson in the No.9 role in the Baggies’ first two Premier League fixtures against Leicester City and Everton.
That gamble hasn’t really paid any dividends, with West Brom suffering heavy back-to-back defeats in the top-flight. It has been pretty evident from Robinson’s lacklustre displays that he lacks the quality and the right balance of attributes to lead the line in the Premier League.
Robson-Kanu has been afforded very little game time in the two games so far, with Austin and Zohore not entering the pitch. Hence, it goes without saying that a new striker should be on top of the club’s agenda before the deadline if Bilic really doesn’t trust his existing options.
To put things into perspective, M’Baye Niang might not have set the PL on fire during his previous loan spell at Watford but he has shown a lot of improvement over the past couple of years, which certainly makes him worth a punt for West Brom.
The 25-year-old boasts a decent track record of 62 goals and 31 assists in 271 club career appearances spread out in the top-flights across Italy, France and England. Those numbers aren’t really good enough to brand him as a prolific hitman but it’s certainly not bad when you consider that he started playing senior football at the age of 16.
Verdict
M’Baye Niang already has a lot of experience under his belt and looks better equipped to make the step up to the PL at this stage of his career.
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In fact, the 25-year-old’s presence could well go a long way towards getting the best out of Matheus Pereira and Grady Diangana – two players who have been really influential for the Baggies.
Having said that, the Senegalese international is definitely worth a punt for West Brom as they bid to steer themselves to safety in the top-flight.
