Niang switches Milan for Watford in potential €18M deal
M'Baye Niang will have a chance to reconstruct his sputtering career in the Premier League.
Following a series of shaky performances with AC Milan, the raw 22-year-old has joined Watford on loan for the remainder of the season, the Hornets announced Thursday on their website.
The deal includes an €18-million option to buy, which will become mandatory in the event he scores 10 league goals by the end of the campaign, reports Sky Sport Italia's Gianluca Di Marzio.
It is an ambitious signing for Watford, whose owner, Giampaolo Pozzo, has assembled a squad featuring a number of former Serie A players.
Niang is the club's third signing of the January transfer window, following the capture of Mauro Zarate and Tom Cleverley.
An athletic and pacy winger with a tendency to draw fouls on the run, the Frenchman has impressed and disappointed so far in his career. He started the season brightly for Milan, becoming a regular fixture on the left side of manager Vincenzo Montella's 4-3-3 formation.
A succession of poor outings, including two missed penalties, drew the ire of supporters who for years had been promised more from such an exciting player. His final touch also let him down, and giveaways became a common occurrence.
Montella admitted earlier this week Niang has not panned out, telling reporters, "He's had ups and downs over his career, and the same has happened this year."
He registered just 12 goals in 77 appearances for the Rossoneri since leaving Caen as a precocious teenager in 2012.
Gerard Deulofeu's arrival at San Siro signalled the end of Niang's tenure, if only briefly. The Everton winger made his debut in Wednesday's Coppa Italia quarter-final against Juventus, and nearly scored the equaliser in an eventual 2-1 loss.
Whether Niang remains at Watford beyond the 2016-17 term depends on his performances.
But a move to the Premier League is something he wanted - especially since Leicester City registered interest last winter.
"Playing there is my dream, as it suits my style of play," Niang said in September.
Now he has his chance.