According to the SAFC web-site at the time, Al-Ain offered to buy him first and we turned it down flat. No fee was mentioned but if they paid £6m for a year's loan, they can't have offered peanuts to buy him. So that's the club's position. He's worth far more to us in global clout than a simple £20m fee. The tweets from our players the other night show he isn't bad for dressing room morale. The decision seems to be with Gyan. He's obviously enjoying himself out there, but does he really want to stay? How long can a top international afford to be in a backwater? He'll get away with it for a season simply because he's Asamoah Gyan, but sooner or later not playing amongst top company will hurt him. He's being very diplomatic about it - don't want to comment - but he's keeping bang up-to-date on all the news from Sunderland - he was one of the first to congratulate MON on his appointment. I think he knows where he's playing next year.
Like I said. Interesting. Even the Mags are sticking their inevitable oar in. No doubt he's a cracking player but I would always worry about his motivation if he ever comes back. We want lads who'll play for the shirt.
Just a quick thought.. Why would a player leave a club, who is not paying a huge sum (in prem terms) in wages, want to return to that very same club?
That's why I think we'll have to re-negotiate with him. According to some reports, he was on £20,000 a week here. That might be a lot to me, but for an international star in the Prem it's derisory. I think some talking on wages is inevitable. But it needn't hurt us too much. Rumour had it that McCartney was our highest paid player (ffs!!!) and we'll be rid of that burden in summer for sure. We could re-direct some of it Gyan's way without feeling too much pain.
Thats garbage Cutey, it was well documented on several sources that he was on £55 grand a week with us before he left. However I do take on board about what your saying in terms of him monitoring whats going on here, I have no doubt our slow climb on up the league and new management will be making him sit up and take notice. as stated before he couldnt possibly hope to be taken seriously if he remains to play in front of 180 - 200 peaple a week in that league (irrespective of allegedly being paid 200 grand a week tax free)
No youve actually got a point Cutey, you were quite right, McCartney was indeed on massive money with us (and still is by all accounts £55 grand again was the salary mooted) I remember us all discussing it on here. It transpired that Keane gave him a daft contract on crazy money. Bent, whilst at Sunderland was apparantly on £50 grand a week and id imagine we have several current first team players on close to that now. Infact a very good friend of mine who is very close to the club told me that (of all people) its Elmohamady's wages that would surprise everyone....but he refuses to tell me how much !!!
I'd have the lad back in a heartbeat... there were always hints of problems between him and SB... like the time he mentioned that SB never spoke to him (this was a while before he left) and then when he left I seem to remember him donated money to the club - maybe to the academy. I'm not saying money wasn't a factor but I when left a job I liked because I was offered something that doubled my salary... I never for one second felt that I was betraying my employers... for most people cash is an incentive and if it's not you're probably too rich to begin with. And ultimatly how hard did SB try to keep him and motivate him... even just until this window? My betting is he didn't... whe was a ****e man-manager. Gyan is no worse, and has behaved a lot better, than many other players who move away from a club... at least we haven't seen him disrespecting the club or fans and I believe he's still well liked by the current squad. Some folks see everyone else's behaviour in absolute terms - as either 'good' or 'bad' when in reality we're all somewhere in between.
Not keen on having him back, personally. I appreciate he may have had issues with Bruce, but otherwise I can't say I want him here anymore. I wouldn't take Bent back either, even if he was knocking in 20+ for Villa. Some boats get burnt...
