“?AC Milan have reportedly told Arsenal and West Ham United to forget attempting to sign M’Baye Niang in the January transfer window.
The Serie A club are alleged to issued a ‘hands off’ warning to the Premier League duo after the pair were linked with winter moves for the striker, according to “?Gazzetta Dello Sport.
Both clubs are looking to bolster their options in attack, but will now have to look elsewhere after Milan’s refusal to enter negotiations over selling Niang halfway through the current campaign.
The San Siro-based side are already set to be one forward short after they agreed to offload fellow striker Luiz Adriano to Russian outfit Spartak Moscow – the 29-year-old is set to leave in a rumoured £780k deal – and are dead set against reducing their numbers up front further with the sale of Niang.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has concerns over the future of star player Alexis Sanchez, who is yet to agree a new contract at the Emirates, and is apparently eager to add more young blood as he looks to bring the age of his first-team squad down.
West Ham, meanwhile, have been scouting the globe for a new striker after bagging just 23 goals in 20 Premier League matches so far this season, and their pursuit of a new focal point in attack has only been heightened further with the news that Dimitri Payet is refusing to play for the club.
Dimitri Payet – on strike and on £120,000 a week – drives away from West Ham training ground in £200,000 Ferrari
The France international has gone on strike at the London stadium after the Hammers turned down a £20m offer from Payet’s former side Marseille, and manager Slaven Bilic will be desperate to add firepower to his ranks before sanctioning any move that sees the 29-year-old leave the Irons.
Both clubs believe that they can lure Niang to England after contract talks between the forward’s representatives and Milan broke down back in November. The Italians had hoped to offer the Frenchman a reported £25k-a-week, but negotiations have stalled in the past two months after a clash over unreported issues.
Niang has been part of the setup at Milan ever since he completed a £2.5m move from Caen in the summer of 2012. Since then, however, the left winger has featured just 75 times for I Rossoneri, and was even spent out on loan to Genoa in the latter part of the 2014/15 campaign.
Niang has been a regular under current Milan boss Vincenzo Montella this season, though, making 16 appearances and scoring three goals in all competitions thus far.
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