A strong 2010 World Cup performance that included three goals, including one against the USA in the round of 16, landed Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan a lucrative deal withSunderland and now, just a year later, a loan move to the Middle East.
Sunderland set a club record of 13 million pounds ($20.6 million) when it signed him from Rennes last year. He scored10 league goals in 34 appearances and despite Manager Steve Bruce and other team executives being “baffled” at Gyan’s request, the club has accepted a loan fee from UAE clubAl-Ain.
Sunderland chairman and former Irish international Niall Quinn believes agents are the blame for Gyan’s unhappiness at the Stadium of Light. “From the momentAsamoah returned for preseason training we could tell people were trying to move him on,” said Quinn. “We hoped it would pass, rebuffed approaches from the Premier League, France and Turkey and feltthe player would settle back down and continue to help our cause. We were also receiving real interest from Al-Ain but, by Wednesday, it looked as if it had lost momentum.”
Gyan, 25, saidMonday upon being introduced by his new club, “I will continue to wear my favourite No. 3 jersey at Al-Ain as I begin a new adventure but with Sunderland still ingrained on my heart. I know this movewill come as a surprise to many at Sunderland considering things I have said in the past month but sometimes fans do not understand why we do certain things. In due course certain things will come tolight.”