Asamoah Gyan leaves Sunderland for Al-Ain

Asamoah Gyan

Ghana international Asamoah Gyan has joined United Arab Emirates side Al-Ain on a permanent deal from Sunderland.

The 26-year-old spent the majority of last season on loan with the UAE outfit, and finished top-scorer with 22 goals to secure the club’s 10th league title.

Gyan was a fan favourite at the Stadium of Light, but admitted that money was a factor behind his September 2011 move to the Middle East.

It’s believed that the Ghanaian quadrupled his wages to over £100,000 a week, while the wealthy club also paid a £6million loan fee.

Sunderland have received an undisclosed fee for Gyan, who scored 11 goals in 37 appearances for the Black Cats after joining from Rennes in August 2010 in a club-record £13million deal.

In April, Sunderland boss Martin O’Neill conceded that there was little chance of Gyan returning to the north-east club.

"You wouldn't really want somebody who is unwilling to come back to the football club,” he said. “It seems to be the message that's coming across."

O’Neill is expected to strengthen his squad before the start of the 2012-13 campaign, with Fraizer Campbell, Connor Wickham and Ji Dong-Won the only recognised strikers currently available to him.

Attacking midfielder Stéphane Sessègnon was deployed as a lone striker at times last season, but O’Neill is keen to bring in at least one more forward to bolster his attacking options.

The Black Cats have recently been linked to Manchester City youngster John Guidetti and Turkey international Burak Yilmaz, who netted 34 goals with Trabzonspor last season.

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