All smiles: Gyan was officially unveiled on Monday
morning after completing his move
Cash flow: The Ghana international will earn £200k a
week, according to reports
Asamoah Gyan has expressed his
delight at joining 'an important club' in Al-Ain after his
mega-money move.
Gyan completed a shock loan switch from
Sunderland to the United Arab Emirates over the weekend and was
unveiled at the Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium on Monday
morning.
Sunderland will receive £6million for the deal,
while Gyan has reportedly agreed tax-free wages of £200,000 a
week.
The Ghana international was thought to be
unsettled on Wearside for several months but his decision to swap
one of Europe's biggest leagues for the Persian Gulf emirate
surprised many.
Gyan said: 'I'm really happy to be here. Al-Ain
is an important club and this is a big challenge for me. There will
be a lot of expectations on me, but not pressure.
'Everybody who has seen me in the World Cup and
at Sunderland knows what I am capable of, but this is a new
challenge for me as I'm a new player here.
'We have quality players in the club to win games
and do well in the championships. We will try to build a winning
team.'
When pushed on whether he intended to remain with
Al-Ain when his season-long loan deal expires, he added: 'I don't
promise. I'm somebody who doesn't promise.
Cynics have suggested Gyan has quit the Barclays
Premier League for the riches on offer in the Middle East with
reports in England claiming the 25-year-old will quadruple his
wages at his new club.
But the former Rennes striker insists he has gone
for 'the challenge'.
He said: 'It's a challenge to me. I made a
decision with my family. Talking about the Asian league it is
improving very well'.
Chairman Niall Quinn outlined the five reasons
which prompted Sunderland to accept a loan offer from Al-Ain for
Gyan.
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.
No promises: Gyan was coy on his long-term plans
'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: the player's obviously negative demeanour in and
around the training ground; the fact that the transfer window in
the UAE had over 50 days remaining, meaning this was unlikely to go
away; the clear desire of the player to leave; the forthcoming
African Nations Cup, which would have meant losing Asamoah for up
to six weeks in the new year; the obvious economic benefits to our
club in the terms of the final deal laid out to us.
'In the early hours of Saturday morning chief
executive Margaret Byrne and myself agreed a loan deal to allow
Asamoah his wish to move but that would also, and more importantly,
protect the club should things not work out for the
player.
Talking it over: Sunderland owner Ellis Short (L),
Chairman Niall Quinn (centre) and manager Steve Bruce
'Steve Bruce, our owner and the
board all found the football decision that Asamoah wished to make
baffling but I, as chairman, with everyone's full support, decided
that this deal was in the best interests of our football
club.
'There was a lot of things that needed to happen
before the deal was fully secured, such as a medical, which has in
fact only just been completed today.'
Quinn also revealed relations between Bruce and
Gyan were again cordial, with the player making a contribution to
the club's foundation.
The former Republic of Ireland international
said: 'Steve's frustrations towards the player, expressed minutes
after the Chelsea game, were understandable at such a time but I
can reveal that since then Asamoah and Steve have made contact and
they are on good terms.
'The olive branch is now there for Asamoah, but
he will need to convince Steve, the board and every Sunderland fan
of his commitment to this club if he is to return. I am delighted
however that he has agreed to make a sizeable donation to SAFC
Foundation for each month that he is away on loan.
'It also goes without saying that this puts Steve
and his recruitment options in a far stronger position for the
January window.'