It has been reported that Tottenham Hotspur have offered Arsenal trialist M’Baye Niang the opportunity to join them too.
The news that Caen’s promising striker M’Baye Niang spend last week on trial at Arsenal was a nice surprise for Gunners fans, but now their rivals are attempting to steal him from their grasp.
The 17-year-old is rated as one of France’s top striking prospects, but after Caen’s relegation to Ligue Two, the French club are willing to sell, reportedly for as little as £5 million.
The striker has been compared to a young Thierry Henry, a tough tag for any youngster to live up to, but a sure sign of his ability.
The situation if he joined Arsenal would not exactly offer a path to first team football, with Giroud, Podolski, Chamakh and Van Persie – for now at least – in front of him. Then there are players in a similar age group to him like Benik Afobe who would argue they are close to being in the mix.
It is more likely especially considering his age that he would be loaned out, possibly to Lorient, a French club Arsenal have links to, where Joel Campbell played last season and forgotten former player Jeremie Aliadiere currently plays.
The pressure at Arsenal is so high, but there are no work permit issues for him to negotiate, and he could play a part in the club’s NextGen Series team if he signs.
The news of Tottenham’s interest is fascinating, but what we don’t know is how his trial at Arsenal went. The Gunners may deem him not worth the outlay, or not right now at least, although it seems so far that they have yet to lodge a bid with Caen.
At Spurs Niang may see an earlier route to the first team, with just Jermain Defoe as a recognised striker, unless you count the outgoing Gio Dos Santos, and youngster Harry Kane. This will change of course, Villas-Boas will bring in his own men, but if he chooses Niang as one of them, or one for the future, it would give him plenty of reason to be confident about his prospects.
What Niang has to choose between, is the history Arsenal have of bringing through young players, or the unknown but possibly exciting new era Villas-Boas is about to bring to Spurs.
If an Arsenal offer comes in, should he stick, or twist and see if the grass is even greener at White Hart Lane? It would be a difficult dilemma for the young man, and if Arsenal are not forthcoming with a transfer bid for him, he would be amiss not to try out with their rivals.
Turning down their invitation down to a misguided sense of loyalty towards the Gunners could backfire, but Arsenal would be equally put out if he chose to take them up on it.
Just to complicate the matter, Manchester City are interested too, and they may offer him a contract the others choose not to compete with for a player of his age, yet his chances at the club would be far from straightforward.
To save himself a tough decision he may just hope Arsenal are impressed enough to put in a bid for him now, and trust that Arsene Wenger can do for his career what he has done for so many before him.
Do you want your club to sign Niang?
image: © korobukkuru
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