Tottenham Hotspur have made an initial approach for Rennes forward Mbaye Niang, according to L’Equipe via @TalkingTHFC.
The French outlet reports Spurs have made contact with Niang’s representatives.
Jose Mourinho is in the market to find a backup for Spurs talisman Harry Kane who can also provide the England international with some healthy competition.
Some fans will no doubt remember the club have been linked with the Senegalese in the past.
He ended up joining AC Milan instead, but struggled to nail down a place at the San Siro Stadium, and was subsequently shipped out on loan to a number of European clubs, including Montpellier and Watford FC, before being sold to Serie A rivals Torino.
It is worth noting the Hornets didn’t make a bid for the Senegal international after he failed to make much of an impression at Vicarage Road.
Niang eventually joined Stade Rennais after a successful loan spell, and he has continued to impress for Julien Stephan’s side this season, scoring 10 goals in 26 games in Ligue 1, taking 2.5 shots on average via WhoScored. Moreover, he can play in a variety of different positions, and his versatility is surely an added bonus.
However, he has failed to register a single assist all year, and has averaged a mere 0.4 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per game in the French top flight (WhoScored).
Although the 25-year-old certainly has an eye for a goal, he clearly needs to make improvements to his overall game, including his passing accuracy and link-up play.
Unsurprisingly given his failed spell at the Hornets, loads of Spurs fans slammed Niang’s transfer link, with one supporter branding him “garbage,” and another labelling him as a “Watford reject.”
Meanwhile another labelled him “Clinton Njie number 2”, perhaps alluding to the fact that he too came from Ligue 1 to Spurs but failed to impress, scoring zero goals in his time at the club (Transfermarkt).
Scroll through some of the scathing responses down below…
Tottenham fans, have you seen enough of M’baye Niang to convince you? Let us know in the comments section!