It might be unfair to draw comparisons with Mario Balotelli, but M’Baye Niang is on a mission to prove that his talent can rise above a reputation as another ‘bad-boy’ of Italian football.

He is not in the last-chance saloon yet, having just turned 22, but a series of loans have proved frustrating for the France Under-21 international and his managers.

AC Milan defied interest from Arsenal, Everton and Tottenham to sign him as a teenager in 2012, but a succession of off-field scrapes have hampered his progress and he has been sent on loan to Montpellier, Genoa and now Watford, who have an option to buy him for £13.5 million at the end of the season.

Much depends on whether Niang’s talent can outweigh a lively temperament that has led to car crashes, a broken curfew leading to an international ban and leaping into a swimming pool from the roof of his apartment, the video of which he posted on social media.

Walter Mazzarri acknowledges the risk he is taking with Niang, who followed an impressive debut in last Tuesday’s victory at Arsenal by scoring the winning goal against Burnley on Saturday.

“He is a player with great qualities and can get even better,” said Mazzarri. “He has made mistakes in the past but I speak with him every day and treat him as if he were my son. I ask him for suggestions and I think he listens to me.”