Would Sunderland fans welcome back Asamoah Gyan?

By Majid Abdalla, writing from the United Arab Emirates

When Asamoah Gyan arrived at Sunderland for a club record £13 million fee, it seemed like the dawn of a new era for both club and player. However, the new era has become true only in the case of the player, while Sunderland are back where they were under Roy Keane – struggling at the wrong end of the table. Gyan now earns around £110,000 a week following his loan move to Al Ain. Undoubtedly, the money within Emirates football seems to have attracted him more than anything else.

With hindsight, one can say that Gyan never really wanted to be at Sunderland. Just six months after his arrival, he started making noises about moving to a bigger club. However, none would have envisaged Gyan leaving the club – even though on a loan deal – in the acrimonious circumstances at the start of this season. The end, as they say, came swift and hard; or has it?

Martin O'Neill has now revealed that he would consider bringing back Gyan. Sometimes, players go beyond the point of no return and many feel that Gyan has done that. O'Neill – based on his recent interviews – does not seem to be a great fan of Gyan, but Sunderland’s financial situation is forcing O'Neill to look at bringing back Gyan as a viable option. But a major question that arises is whether Sunderland fans would even accept him at this point.

Take the Carlos Tevez case; it would be hard to see City fans accepting Tevez even if the player sorts out his problems with Mancini and the club. The same cannot apply for Sunderland fans, as they are not in a luxurious position to negotiate. Manchester City can do without a Carlos Tevez, but Sunderland cannot do without a goal scorer like Gyan.

He showed in the 3-0 win over Chelsea – one of his best games for Sunderland – that he possesses remarkable quality and talent not only enough to steer Sunderland out of relegation trouble, but also closer to European qualification. While Manchester City can go out and buy any striker they like, Sunderland cannot do the same. Of course, there is Nicklas Bendtner, who can lead the line much better than Gyan, but he is a shadow of the Ghanaian when you consider the finishing skills of both players. The fine details, finishing chances when they come, matter when it comes to the relegation fight and Nicklas Bendtner is not going to be the one who will provide the answer.

There is no arguing the fact that fans can be fickle; Wayne Rooney getting accepted by the Manchester United fans is the perfect example of this. Rooney went to the point of no return, but because of his quality and the importance to the team, United fans were able to accept him back. They sure don’t love him in the same way that they once used to, but they have accepted him.

Acceptance could well be the result with Gyan as well. He has scored 7 goals from 9 games with Al Ain so far. Even though it would be tough to expect the same goal return in the Premier League, he is more than capable of finding the back of the net when it matters the most. A few goals upon his return and everything could be forgotten. After all, he went to a place where he was offered a chance to quadruple his wages. There are not a lot of people - especially footballers -  who would resist such an opportunity.

Majid Abdalla’s Emirates Football Talk can be found on Twitter @EF_Talk. Comments below please.