Player Profile – M’Baye Niang

A player blessed with versatility, Niang can operate on either wing as easily as he can play centre forward.

The former French youth international stands at 6 foot tall. And at just 22, he has a lot of football ahead of him.

The chance to get his international career on track will be massive motivation for Niang.

Whether that be with his native France or Idrissa Gueye’s Senegal, who he is also eligible to represent, is to be seen.

He will bring blistering pace and directness to the side – exactly what the team is crying out for.

That’s been badly lacking since the injury to Yannick Bolasie back in December.

Niang spent the second half of the last campaign on loan at Watford.

To be honest it was a relatively unsuccessful stint in an extremely underwhelming Hornets side.

But forget about that.

Take the positives from the fact Niang will require no time to settle into the English game.

You may or may not know, but M’Baye will be familiar with the surroundings at USM Finch Farm, having served a period on trial under David Moyes in 2012.

A £2 million fee was agreed with Caen, his club at the time, but Niang elected instead to join Italian giants AC Milan.

Forget what you’ve read about Niang. The murmurs of laziness, a bad attitude or that he simply hasn’t looked like fulfilling his potential. He’s a young lad!

Ronald Koeman and Steve Walsh believe they can get the best out of him and that should be enough for Evertonians.

Koeman is not the type to tolerate players who l aren’t willing to put in 100%. All the time.

There’s no messing about when the stern Dutchman is on the case. And Niang knows he will take his eye off the ball at his own peril.

Up the Toffees.