Update provided on Nottingham Forest’s pursuit of 26-year-old | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest’s potential move for Senegal international M’Baye Niang looks to be in doubt due to the player’s wage demands, according to journalist Alan Nixon.

French publication Footmercato reported that Forest were one of three teams battling to sign Niang this summer, along with Scottish giants Celtic and Belgian side Anderlecht after he fell out of favour at Stade Rennais last season.

Niang secured a loan move to Saudi side Al-Ahli halfway through the season but failed to make an impact, with Rennes manager Bruno Genesio confirming that the 26-year-old is now up for sale, via GFFN.

Forest are in need of strengthening their strike-force and wing options – Niang is predominantly a centre forward but can also be deployed out wide and he could potentially give Lewis Grabban some major competition at the City Ground.

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According to Salarysport, Niang’s apparent wages of around £62,000 per week would clearly be unmatchable by Forest, and even if an agreement could be reached in which the forward took a wage cut it may still not be enough to tempt him to Forest, with Nixon suggesting that his salary would be an issue if Forest were to firm their interest up.

The Verdict

It’s no surprise to see that Niang’s wages are big considering he was once an AC Milan player, and before his barren spell last season he had back-to-back double figure scoring seasons in Ligue 1.

There’s a quality player in there but Niang just didn’t show it last season – when he’s on top form he could probably stretch to being a Premier League player, a league that he has some experience in following a loan spell years ago with Watford.

Forest may be interested but it just doesn’t seem as though they’ll be able to offer Niang a good enough financial package – unless money isn’t everything to him and he just wants to play football.

If his estimated wages are correct then wherever Niang moves on to, Rennes will more than likely have to cut a deal to pay him some of his salary, with his contract only expiring in 2023, but wherever that destination is it’s unlikely to be beside the River Trent.