M’Baye Niang is Watford’s new Mario Balotelli with fights, car crashes and many other bizarre off-field controversies to go with huge talent… and he is only 22

SINCE Mario Balotelli’s departure, the Premier League has been bereft of wacky personalities — but that looks set to change.

Enter M’Baye Niang. Watford’s French striker, who is on loan from AC Milan, has enjoyed an impressive start on the pitch.

While off it, he is just as entertaining — but never too far away from a controversial incident.

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Like Balotelli, he often more noticeable for his hairstyles than his footwork.

At 22, Niang is undoubtedly an exciting and hugely talented player but is a gamble for the Hornets as his past is littered with unsavoury episodes — such as a suspended 18-month jail sentence he received after injuring 11 people during a car crash while on loan at Montpellier.

He was excellent against in Watford’s shock 2-1 win at Arsenal and contributed a goal and an assist in the victory by the same scoreline against Burnley.

But with Niang — whose partner is French blogger, Emilie Fiorelli — the good, often comes with the bad.

Caen beat off competition from big guns, Paris Saint-Germain and Lille to sign him up at the tender age of 13 — such was his talent — netting a hat-trick on his trial.

Niang rose through the ranks and was representing the club's under-19s side at just 15.

The first controversy arrived after the signing of his first professional contract.

French law requires parents to agree to a deal when involving a minor, and his father insisted he had not.

He eventually moved onto Milan, despite interest from Arsenal and Tottenham in 2012, and became the club’s second-youngest goal scorer when he netted in a cup match against Reggina.

But just a month earlier, he had broken a curfew while on duty with the French Under-21 side and was banned from representing his country for 12 months — though he has not featured at any level since.

And, he was later caught driving around Milan without a licence — and  then reportedly claimed to be fellow AC star Bakaye Traore.

He apologised for his actions but denied pretending to be his team-mate.

Not long after, he was involved in a bizarre incident in the streets again, where he was filmed being harassed by a twerking transvestite.

His first season in Serie A was shrouded by even more controversy as he was reported to have scrapped with Balotelli on the training pitch after he was accused of informing coaches the former Manchester City and Liverpool striker was secretly smoking on a train en route to a match at Fiorentina.

Meanwhile, his form on the pitch suffered, with just one goal in 24 across all competitions.

And, in his second campaign, he played just eight times before Christmas and was loaned out to Montpellier for the remainder of the campaign.

The controversies continued.

Just one month into his return to Ligue 1, he crashed his Ferrari into a tree and handed a suspended 18-month jail sentence after a hit-and-run incident which left 11 people injured.

Prosecutor, Francois Lafont, said at the time: "It was pure craziness. It's not just an accident, this is assault. Ten people could have been killed."

He was charged with endangering people’s lives and driving without a licence.

His car was wrecked, but he insisted the crash was caused by adverse weather conditions.

Niang then returned to the San Siro for the start of the 2014-15 season but was loaned out to Genoa the following January, where he hit five goals in 14 games.

He started the next season at the Rossoneri and scored his first brace for Milan, as well as a goal in a 3-0 victory over Inter.

But another car accident saw him injure his shoulder and ankle, though tests reported he was not over the alcohol limit — again he blamed the weather.

He returned to make a late substitute appearance as the Rossoneri lost 1-0 to Juventus in the Coppa Italia final.

With his future in the balance, a video emerge of him jumping off a roof into a tiny swimming pool during the summer just months after a long lay-off — and furious Milan chiefs looked ready to sell him.

Leicester made a £16million bid, but he refused to be second-choice to Jamie Vardy, and stayed with Milan.

Having stayed, he featured in the first two games of the season.

In his second — a 4-2 defeat at Napoli — he scored and received a late red card after trying to grab Pepe Reina as he tried to offload the ball.

He started the campaign fairly well, but his form soon dipped and, in January, he moved to Vicarage Road on loan.

At Watford, the threat of relegation still looms large.

But, for Niang, another failure could already spell the end of his career.