Asamoah Gyan has disclosed that he was close to signing for English moneybags Manchester City instead of Sunderland.
Before the Ghana national team skipper switched to the Stadium of Light in 2010, Sven Goran Eriksson, who was then in charge of the Citizens, was luring him away from French club Stade Rennes two years prior.
But a move was scuppered by an injury he sustained during the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations [Afcon] held in his homeland Ghana, according to Gyan.
Negotiations had gone on successfully and the Kayserispor striker had talked to top officials at the club [Manchester City] and the Welsh manager regarding the transfer
Gyan, on his 33d birthday, told Adom TV: “I was close to joining Manchester City in 2008 but for an injury.
“I had agreed terms with them and negotiation went well, but I picked up an injury when I was playing for Ghana at the Afcon.”
“I spoke to the coach [Sven Goran Eriksson] and other top officials of the club and everything was in line. I could have joined them just after the Afcon but because of the injury, I couldn’t.”
Eriksson finally got to work with Gyan at Chinese side Shanghai SIPG seven years later [2015].
Asamoah Gyan went on to sign for Premier League rivals Sunderland FC after bagging three goals at the 2010 Fifa World Cup in games against Serbia, Australia and USA.
In a stellar 14 years career, Asamoah Gyan has played for 10 different clubs – featured in 358 games and scored 199 goals at club level. He has scored 51 goals in 105 games for the Black Stars of Ghana and is the country’s all-time top scorer.
