Milan in two minds about M’Baye Niang

Only a couple of weeks ago M’Baye Niang’s days at AC Milan seemed numbered and a move away seemed a given (with Everton touted as the destination). However, a number of impressive performances on the part of the twenty-two-year-old have moved Milan on to the fence in regards to his future, reports Gazzetta dello Sport.

Niang’s time at Milan could be easily summed up as inconsistent, which saw the Frenchman being sent out on a number of loan spells over the recent seasons. Each time he returned a better player, I think it’s fair to say. But while against Bayern he really did put up a spectacular show - we’ve got to hand it to him - there wasn’t anything exceptional about his game against Craiova. That shouldn’t be too much of a problem, as nobody seriously expects Niang to be a starter in this brand-new Milan.

The main issue stems, however, from the player’s attitude. His inconsistency aside, he doesn’t take nicely to ‘waiting his turn.’ Plain and simple, he seems at times to have an inordinate idea of his worth. One day, we see him pulling off some nice stuff on the flank while in the he next game he embarrasses himself with a spate of failed tricks or wrestling amateurishly with the ball. He seems only too aware of the former case, while blissfully ignorant of the latter. Time and again, his selfish side comes through as well, going for glory instead of passing the ball to a teammate in a visibly better position.

Granted, there’s a lot of room for improvement- and he seems to be getting there, slowly but surely. There’s no getting around his potential. But while he’s gotten off to an exhilarating start, we need to ask ourselves how long this is going to last, and ultimately, the big question looming is what to do with Niang?

With Torino knocking on our door, I say we shouldn’t hold on to him too tight if the right offer comes in.