So reports have claimed we are interested in signing the Torino striker M’Baye Niang in a deal worth around £17 million, £16.5 million more than he is actually worth.
Unai Emery has done some pretty good business this transfer window and has focused all his attention on sorting out the defensive side of the game, an area which Arsene Wenger was reluctant to address.
But with such a long season ahead, due to the fact we will be playing Europa League football, there has been some speculation that Emery would like to add another attacker to the front-line just in case Auba or Lacazette pick up some kind of injury.
With that said, the latest name to be linked with a move to the Emirates is quite shocking and embarrassing as we reportedly want to bring Niang to London. The powerful 24-year-old was on the books at AC Milan for five-years before deciding to make a permanent switch to Torino, after a number of loan spells away from the Italian club.
Niang most recently had Premier League experience after spending half a season on loan at Watford in 2016/17, before linking up with the Hornets’ then-boss Walter Mazzarri again at Torino.
But despite his clear lack of goals and his ability to go missing for 88 minutes of games, the Sky Sports website has claimed Emery was impressed with Niang’s performances at the World Cup for Russia and is now ready to sanction a late move to bring him to the Emirates.
He would be another cheap buy from the Spaniard and would not cost the club much in terms of wages, as around £50,000-per-week would be a nice little wage for his services. However, this is a guy that struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League at Watford and failed to make any sort of impact on the AC Milan side, who once hailed him as the club’s next big thing, so why would we even bother to show any kind of interest?
I guess it comes down to the fact he would add some power and physicality to the front line, you know like Olivier Giroud did before he left and signed for Chelsea, and would be useful for the Europa League and Cup games, maybe?
Iomie