West Brom have held talks with Rennes over the possible loan signing of striker M’Baye Niang on loan, a report from The Express and Star has claimed.
It was reported over the weekend that the Baggies are interested in signing Niang on a temporary basis, with the option of a permanent deal if the club avoid relegation, and it now seems as though the possibility of such an agreement happening is increasing.
According to the latest reports, West Brom have spoken to Rennes about the possibility of a deal for Niang, with the player’s own stance seemingly handing the Baggies a boost here.
It is thought that Niang himself is keen to return to the Premier League having previously spent a loan spell in English football’s top-flight with Watford during the 2016/17 campaign.
Huddersfield striker Karlan Grant is still said to be West Brom’s priority target, but the cost of a deal combined with the Baggies’ limited budget means that a loan move for Niang is now reportedly coming under serious consideration.
Since joining Rennes from Torino in 2018, Niang has scored 21 goals in 56 league appearances for the Ligue 1 club.
Consequentially, this may not be a bad approach for West Brom to take given the circumstances.
Is does seem as though it is going to be hard for the Baggies to get a deal done for Grant without spending big and stretching their budget to its limit, meaning a move for Niang may not be the worst idea.
While not as high a profile as Grant, Niang is still a reliable goalscorer at top-flight level, and does seem to be more affordable than the Huddersfield man, meaning this could be good for West Brom in every sense as they look to find a striker who can keep them competitive in the Premier League.
