Sports Features of Thursday, 10 February 2011

Source: Hi Newspaper

Asamoah Gyan For $130,000 Glo Deal

EXCLUSIVE NEWS AVAILABLE TO HI NEWSPAPER AT THE TIME OF GOING TO PRESS LATE WEDNESDAY IS THAT BLACK STARS' TOPMOST STRIKER ASAMOAH GYAN, WILL ON VALENTINE’S DAY MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2011, ACCEPT AN OFFER TO ENDORSE THE TELECOM LATE-COMER, GLOBACOM, AS ITS LATEST AMBASSADOR.

Hi Newspaper has reliable information that management of Mike Adenuga's Globacom, who engages entertainment and football talents and activities to market the brand, “has identified huge potential in the Ghana Striker and has been negotiating with the calm looking talent since the Glo boss last met Asamoah Gyan at a recent CAF awards show”, Our Glo source told Hi Newspaper on Wednesday.

So far our source inside the Airport-West office of Globacom tells Hi Newspaper that the agreed signing fee is $130,000 per year. “It is top secret; so confidential that, not many top management members have an idea Baby Jet is joining our green family let alone receiving such signing purse. But I can assure you that the deal was finalized on Monday”, our source hints late Wednesday. Gyan's performances for Ghana in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and at Steve Bruce's Sunderland has brought him to the attention of a host of top brands.

No official word is expected from Glo until on Val's Day when a brief ceremony is expected to be held for the inclusion of Asamoah Gyan to the Glo ambassadors at a plush hotel in Accra. Glo officials say the ceremony would not signify the much awaited launch of the Glo brand/services as they still have a few technical works to complete before rolling out in the second quarter of 2011.

Off the field, Gyan is a music lover and has appeared under the pseudonym 'Baby Jet' on three tracks (including a hit song call African Ladies) released by Castro Da Destroyer. The top Striker became Sunderland's record signing as the club paid Rennes a fee in excess of £13m for his services on the final day of the transfer window in August 2010.

On penning his signature to the Glo deal, Baby Jet would be the highest-paid Glo ambassador in Ghana. The figure is definitely two times bigger that the amount dished out to the highest paid musician and movie icons (Jackie Appiah, Van Vicker and Nadia Buari). Glo had a deal to use images of Black Stars for commercial purposes by virtue of their sponsorship of the Ghana FA’s Premier League.

Two years ago when Glo announced its intention to commence operations in Ghana, they signed a total of 16 musicians and movie stars, most of whose deal ended between July and October 2010. Aside Becca who signed a 2-year deal attracting a purse not exceeding $120,000 for 2 years, Glo has since renewed only a handful of its icons and only proven interest in Tinny and Wutah (as a group, not solo) plus the 3 top local movie stars.

Asamoah Gyan is expected to start the Sunderland-Tottenham Barclay EPL match on Saturday February 12, 2011. Right after the match late Saturday, he's expected to fly to Accra to get ready for Monday's brief ceremony. He returns to England on Monday.