The turning of Asamoah Gyan!

Asamoah Gyan

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 £6 million 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.

'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.

'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. '