Former Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan was told to leave the Black Cats by club officials, according to ghanasportonline.
The 30-year-old, who scored 10 goals in 34 appearances for the Lads, spent three years at Sunderland after signing for a club record £13 million in 2010. He was loaned out to Al Ain, before joining them permanently.
Gyan came under criticism for this move, with claims he was motivated by money circulating wildly – his salary four times that of what he was earning on Wearside.
But Gyan has now revealed that it was the Black Cats that pushed for the move all along.
“They convinced me to go. They persuaded me to go so when they said that I said OK because of the money”.
“They told me when I came their publicity was very good, they were making a lot of money in selling my shirts, so in business wise it was going well for the club”.
Then Chairman Niall Quinn did speak of the financial benefits for both Sunderland and Gyan back in 2012, with Sunderland receiving £6 million for the initial loan deal followed by a £4 million permanent transfer fee.
Whether Gyan is telling the truth or whether he is financially motivated will never be known, but the Ghanaian currently receives £227,000 a week at his current club Shanghai SIPG.
