According to TEAMtalk, Oumar Niasse has turned down interest from Derby County and Middlesbrough as he has no interest in joining another English club.
The 30-year-old was released by Everton in June and is still a free agent, but TEAMtalk say he’s got interest from clubs in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Niasse has led a nomadic career, playing in Senegal, Norway, Turkey, Russia and England, but it remains to be seen where he’ll end up.
Woeful form in the last two years
It beggars belief why anyone would want Niasse. The Senegalese international has been short of form and playing time in the last two years, failing to score or make an assist at senior level since May 2018.
After having a hand in 12 goals from 25 games in 2017/18, Niasse made seven appearances for us the following season (2018/19) without adding to his tally and fired blanks in his 13 games while on loan at Cardiff City (January 18, 2019 – June 30, 2019).
In 2019/20, the 30-year-old made just three appearances for us and amassed a paltry 19 minutes of football, so he’s hardly played in the last 12 months and will be short of match fitness.
Why does he not want an England move?
Niasse won’t get any Premier League interest due to his poor form and lack of activity, so I personally think he’s not interested in dropping down a division in England. The Senegal striker was turning down Championship clubs in January as he wanted a move abroad, so he might be angling for a payday elsewhere.
The fact Niasse is still a free agent suggest clubs haven’t put forward an acceptable offer, so perhaps they don’t feel he’s valuable. As per Transfermarkt, Daniel Sturridge, Ahmed Musa, Alexandre Pato, Fabio Borini and Mario Mandzukic are free agents, so there are better options for clubs than Niasse.
Summary
I think Niasse should bite the bullet and join a Championship club for the remainder of the season if he gets an approach. But if he’s not fussed about playing, he’s within his rights to wait for a better offer.