Could Al Ain possibly part with Asamoah Gyan? Chinese club out to tempt them

Al Ain's Asamoah Gyan scored 13 goals in 17 league appearances for Al Ain last season in the UAE. Mostafa Reda / Al Ittihad

Asamoah Gyan is the subject of a substantial bid from Chinese Super League club Shanghai SIPG, according to reports.

The Al Ain striker, who is on an off-season break, has another three years on his contract, having signed an extension only last summer.

However, ESPN FC reported on Monday that Shanghai have approached Al Ain about a potential transfer, with the website claiming manager Sven-Goran Eriksson wants to make the Ghanaian the Chinese side's marquee signing.

Gyan, 29, has enhanced his reputation since moving to Al Ain from the Premier League’s Sunderland in 2011. Initially on loan, he concluded his first season as top scorer in the UAE top flight, with 22 goals. Gyan then secured the Golden Boot the following two seasons as well, helping his present tally climb to 95 goals in 83 league appearances.

In four seasons with Al Ain, Gyan has fired the club to three league titles and one President’s Cup crown.

Last year, he finished top scorer in the Asian Champions League, finding the net 12 times, as Al Ain advanced to the semi-finals.

Eriksson will know Gyan well as he spent almost five months as technical director at Dubai’s Al Nasr in 2013. He left to take charge at Guangzhou R&F, another Chinese Super League club, before moving to Shanghai last November.

Al Ain would be loath to lose Gyan, but a big-money offer could tempt them. Last season he struggled with injury, featuring in 17 Arabian Gulf League matches, although he still scored 13 goals.

Gyan could be convinced to transfer to Shanghai if reports suggesting he will be set to earn £250,000 (Dh1.44 million) per week are true. Al Ain were unavailable for comment.

Meanwhile, the Garden City club have been linked to a move for Felipe Bastos, the Brazilian midfielder who represents Vasco da Gama in his homeland. Bastos, 25, transferred from Botafogo to Benfica in 2008 but spent the majority of his four years with the Portuguese side on loan at various clubs. Having returned to Brazil in 2012 with Vasco, he was loaned to Gremio in June last year.

Al Ain are in the market for two new foreign players after deciding to part with Miroslav Stoch, the Slovakian winger on loan last season, and Jires Kembo Ekoko, the Congolese-born French forward.

The UAE champions were rumoured to have begun negotiations for Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel, but it is understood they never contacted the 2014/15 Premier League winners with a formal approach.

Speaking to Al Ain’s official website this week, team manager Nasser Al Junaibi said: “Al Ain’s policy is that we do not announce any negotiations for potential signings, because this might affect the deal. Once we have agreed 100 per cent and signed with the player, then we can announce it. The day we’ve signed a player, we’ll confirm it in a professional manner through a press conference.”

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