Asamoah Gyan says he wants to remain at Al Ain for the foreseeable future, despite the striker reportedly attracting interest from several European clubs.
The Ghanaian, who is top scorer this season in both the Arabian Gulf League and the Asian Champions League, was linked in January with a loan transfer to English Premier League club West Ham United.
At the time, Gyan stated his desire to stay at Al Ain and help turn around their disappointing domestic campaign, although he did confirm he would assess his options after this summer’s World Cup in Brazil.
The forward, 28, has two years left on his contract, believed to be worth €3 million (Dh15.2m) per season.
“I am not in any rush to leave Al Ain because they have been very good to me and have given me a great platform to showcase what I can do as a footballer,” Gyan said.
“It’s very good to know that what I am doing here has attracted interest from some European clubs, but I don’t have any immediate plans of returning Europe just yet.”
Gyan has continued to impress for Al Ain since joining the Garden City club, initially on loan, in 2011 from Sunderland, the English top-flight side.
His 53 league goals in 40 matches across his first two seasons in UAE football sealed successive Golden Boots and helped Al Ain capture consecutive championship titles.
This season, Gyan has 24 goals in 23 league matches, while he has seven goals in six Champions League fixtures.
Al Ain are seeking a top-four finish in the Arabian Gulf League; they sit seventh with three rounds remaining, yet are only three points off third.
Next month they contest the President’s Cup final against Al Ahli, while they also face Al Jazira across two legs for a place in the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League.
Gyan will be crucial to Al Ain’s three-pronged objective and he hopes firing his side to success will further cement his place in the club’s history.
“Every club has a great player or a legend that helped them in the past. For me I feel this is where I belong in terms of being a legend,” he said.
“What else can a player ask for? I am getting regular playing time, the money is good and the coaches, players and fans love me. It’s a very great feeling here.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
