Arsenal Transfer News: M'Baye Niang Bid Is Last-Ditch Effort by Gunners

Arsenal have shown a lot of interest in 17-year-old striker M'Baye Niang, even bringing him in on a trial basis last week. Faced with competition to land his signature, however, the Gunners have attempted to beat other teams to the punch with an official bid.

Alan Nixon of the Daily Mirror reports Arsenal have offered £6 million for one of the most coveted young strikers on the transfer market. Niang, who currently plays for Caen in France, also has generated interest from Manchester City, among others.

Unfortunately for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, that's about all he can do. If Manchester City want to make a more lucrative offer, they have the resources to do it, and the Gunners wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

Give credit to Wenger for doing everything within his power to bring Niang to Emirates. Between his trial with the squad and the bid, he has maximized his chances of getting a deal done. But sometimes during transfer seasons, things are out of a manager's hands.

Although Niang has only produced five goals in 30 professional games for Caen, it's his seemingly limitless potential that has caused so many teams to consider making a run at him. He's well on his way to becoming a star in one of Europe's big leagues.

He already has ideal size for the striker position. That will become an even bigger part of his game once he adds more strength and learns to use it effectively in games, something that should come with more experience against elite competition.

Niang has been working his way through the French international system, reaching the U-21 level last year. The fact he's been able to keep improving even though there's so much pressure on him shows that he has a level head.

If Wenger's able to secure a deal with Niang, it should turn out to be a major coup for the Gunners. While £6 million is a hefty price to pay for a player who really hasn't proven much yet, his value should only continue to increase from here.

Since Arsenal can't compete with some of the market's biggest spenders, it will take deals like that to keep them on pace in the Premiership. Within a couple years, Niang would be a significant piece of the team's attack, if not sooner.

As for now, all the Gunners and their fans can do is sit back and see what happens. Wenger has made his best pitch and can only hope it's enough to close the deal.