Former Paris Saint-Germain winger, Jerome Rothen, has warned top teams to keep their hands off Mbaye Niang as the striker does not have the mentality to succeed at a big club.
L’Equipe (via GFFN) reported earlier this week that Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Niang ahead of the summer transfer window.
It was claimed that the North Londoners had already held talks with the 25-year-old’s representatives about a potential summer move. Niang was also said to be attracting interest from Andre Villas-Boas’ Marseille.
The striker has been prolific for Rennes since completing a permanent move from Torino last summer. He netted fifteen goals in all competitions before the season ended prematurely due to the coronavirus pandemic (tranfermarkt.com).
However, Rothen feels that Niang’s inability to settle down at any club and perform consistently is a sign of his mental fragility. He insisted that Senegal international will not last long at a club like Marseille.
Speaking to RMC Sport, the former France international said: “When you look at his career in numbers, you can say for two years, he has finally stabilized in a club (Rennes).
“He had a long contract in Milan, where he was loaned out every year.
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“He’s an unstable guy. He did two years in Rennes, that’s good. Imagine he gets his way and signs for Marseille.
“It’s going to be a good six months at Marseille, because it’s a big club, playing in the Champions League…
“He had experience in Milan, which is a big club. (But) he didn’t succeed. He knows that in these (big) clubs, it’s not just about being professional, it’s about being serious. He is unable to do that.
“Once he gains confidence and scores goals, he falls back into lax training. Because that is his mentality, and he will fall into oblivion. He will do a year or two in Marseille and then we will say that they must get rid of him.”
Spurs Web Opinion
In fairness to Niang, it is unclear how much of a say he had in his numerous loan moves as Milan were going through an unstable time and did not seem to know what to do with the striker. While I think Rothen’s assessment of the striker is unfair, I do not think that Niang is the right option for Spurs.
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