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28 March 2024

Gyan seals shock loan move to Al Ain FC

Ghana's Asamoah Gyan (second right), Awad bin Hasoom Al Darmaky, CEO of Al Ain Club (first left) and Cosmin Olaroiu, Al Ain coach, hold Al Ain Club's No. 3 jersey during the unveiling of Gyan at the club in Al Ain on Monday. (AP)

Published
By Agencies

After swapping the prestige of the English Premier League for the riches of the UAE, Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan is set to embark on a new chapter in his career.

Gyan left Sunderland “baffled” by completing a season-long loan move to Al Ain Football Club on Saturday, with sections of the British media reporting he will triple his weekly salary to around £125,000 ($200,000).

His shock move has left Sunderland bitter, with chairman Niall Quinn listing the reasons why the club had to let its star striker depart.

Among them, Quinn said on Monday, were the “obvious economic benefits to our club in the terms of the final deal laid out” when the chairman of Al Ain flew to Sunderland’s training ground on Friday to finalise the loan deal.

In a statement on the club’s official website, he said: “From the moment Asamoah returned for pre-season training we could tell that there were people trying to move him on. We hoped it would pass by, rebuking approaches from the Premier League, France and Turkey and felt the player would settle back down and continue to help our cause.

“Throughout this time we were also receiving real interest from Al Ain, but it looked as if that too had lost momentum by last Wednesday.

“Steve spoke to Asamoah on Thursday morning, asking him to knuckle down and we were all set to move on. Later that day however Al Ain began a prolonged effort to get the deal back on track and this turned the player’s attentions once more to a possible move.

“Come Friday, the chairman of Al Ain and his advisors had flown into Newcastle and arrived at our training ground to discuss a potential deal for Asa.

“They were very professional but determined to sign the player and at this point we took a number of things into consideration.”

Quinn then listed the reasons behind the deal, including Gyan’s negative attitude, his clear desire to leave; January’s Africa Cup of Nations, and the financial benefits.

However, the 25-year-old Gyan has no intention of looking back on the wreckage he has left behind, with Sunderland unable to replace him in the squad because the transfer window closed on September 1.

“I’m really, really happy to be here, at an important club like Al Ain,” said Gyan, who helped Ghana reach the quarter-finals at last year’s World Cup. “I’ve played in Europe for a while and I’m here to see how is the Asian league. Hopefully, I will help the team win some cups and then see where my future lies.”

The terms of Gyan’s deal with Al Ain have not been revealed, although reports say Sunderland would be receiving £6 million ($9.5 million) for loaning out the player.

Quinn spoke of his disappointment at Gyan’s “negative demeanour in and around the training ground” in recent weeks and the striker’s “clear desire to leave.”

Unlike manager Steve Bruce, though, Quinn said Gyan could still be recalled to the Stadium of Light.

“He will need to convince Steve, the board and every Sunderland fan of his commitment to this club if he is to return,” Quinn said.

Quinn, who said Gyan would be making a sizeable donation to the Sunderland Foundation for each month he is away on loan, added that he, the board and Bruce “found the football decision that Asamoah wished to make baffling.”

Gyan is Sunderland’s record signing, joining for a club-record fee of £13 million ($20 million) from French club Rennes last season. He scored 11 goals in 37 appearances for Sunderland but clearly failed to settle into English football.

Gyan said on Monday he had needed “a change in environment” and promised Al Ain fans he would “deliver here, I’m very sure about that.”

Gyan is the fourth foreign player the club has signed in recent weeks ahead of the new season starting September 15, after Ignacio Scocco of Argentina, Mirel Radoi of Romania and Yasser Al Qahtani of Saudi Arabia.

Al Ain finished 10th in the UAE Pro League last season.