Mbaye Niang Arrested for Lying to Police Following Car Accident

AC Milan rising star Mbaye Niang, who's currently on loan with Ligue 1 side Montpellier, was reportedly summoned and detained by French police after a car accident.

Ben Jefferson of the Daily Express reports the 19-year-old forward originally denied he was driving an expensive Ferrari that crashed into a tree and then fled the scene. It's unclear who was operating the vehicle if it wasn't Niang, whose license is apparently suspended.

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French police have since confirmed that Niang was summoned and detained in relation to the accident near Montpellier's training ground.

The player's drivers licence is reportedly suspended due to an accumulation of points.

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The article notes Niang had emerged as a popular Premier League target before the incident. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham are all mentioned as potential landing spots for the Frenchman.

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Those links will likely be placed on the back burner until more information comes to light about the situation.

Dimitri Moulins of Reuters (via Yahoo! News) reports Niang faces further questioning by police, even though it's currently believed he wasn't driving:

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Montpellier striker Mbaye Niang, who joined last month on loan from AC Milan, has been detained by the local police to be questioned over a car crash, a police source said on Thursday.

The 19-year-old's Ferrari crashed into a tree near the Ligue 1 club training facility on Sunday but it was not clear who was driving the car.

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Michael Wade of the Daily Mail references an incident back shortly after the forward joined Milan, when he was stopped by police and it was discovered he didn't have a license. There were even suggestions he claimed to be Bakaye Traore.

Niang apologized for that situation:

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I would like to say sorry to all of the fans. Also to Milan Vice-President Adriano Galliani, boss Massimiliano Allegri and this magnificent club. I made a grave error, but I never said that I was Traore.

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Details are still very limited about the latest issue. It still must be determined who was driving the car when it crashed and how Niang was involved, if at all. That information probably won't be available until the investigation is complete.

Niang has scored three goals in four league appearances since joining Montpellier on loan. It's unknown if the incident will have any immediate effect on his match availability.