Arsenal Transfer News: Introducing M'Baye Niang, Arsene Wenger's Latest Target

An Arsenal transfer rumor that is rapidly gathering momentum today surrounds the possible trial and transfer of exciting 17-year-old French striker M'Baye Niang from relegated Ligue 1 club FC Caen.

Widely reported by a number of websites, including Ouest-France.fr, ArseBlog.com and GunnerBlog.com, this rumor is sure to be received with a wide range of reactions by the Arsenal faithful.

Some will surely roll their eyes with frustration and accuse Arsene Wenger of trying to replace Robin van Persie with an unproven teenager. However, were the Frenchman really that stupid, he'd have never survived in this job for almost 16 years.

Having said that, while we're on the subject of youngsters, I trust most Arsenal fans were and remain happy with the acquisition of "young" Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain?

Though, I wouldn't hold my breath.

Meanwhile, other Arsenal supporters will be excited that the club is bringing in a promising young player.

At the age of 17, M'Baye already has five goals in the French top tier and one goal for the French Under-21 side.

Based on the limited videos available, he reminds me a lot of Emmanuel Adebayor.

One one level, that's really disturbing, but I'm not going to think about it.

Niang, who has been coveted by Tottenham Hotspur in the past, signed professional terms with Caen in February 2011. He became the youngest player to ever play for the club, and scored three goals in four starts in the 2010-11 season.

He has also represented France at the Under-16 and Under-17 levels. You can see a more detailed profile of M'Baye Niang here.

Niang would be an exciting addition to the Arsenal squad if he is to join. He may end up on loan for his first half or full season, but holds tremendous promise for the future.

The wait for a couple of big-name announcements continues, but it's still early July and everyone's apparently still on vacation.

Or so we were told by someone last week...

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