Sports Features of Thursday, 29 June 2017

Source: ghanasoccernet.com

Gyan and Ayew: Partners for Ghana, opponents in England?

Asamoah Gyan and Dede Ayew Asamoah Gyan and Dede Ayew

While the potential big money movers tend to dominate the headlines, supporters of every club catch up with the latest news on which new faces they could be seeing wearing their beloved club’s strip next season.

Any nation’s big sides tend to go for the more commercially driven transfers big players who can ultimately deliver success on the pitch and on the bank statement. Other clubs may be looking to solidify their standings, or worse still – rebuild from the ground up.

As a result, while many nation’s top players move from one footballing giant to another, other clubs may look to the more under the radar nations to pluck some of their finest talent. Rarely is this case more true than the likes of Ghana these days.

The last time they won the African Cup of Nations was way back in 1982. That has been despite possessing some of the aforementioned big names in football – the likes of Michael Essien and Abedi Pele donned the famous white shirt for the duration of their careers.

Their strike force at present include two players who could both be playing in England next season. Jordan Ayew only recently swapped the Midlands for south Wales when he joined Swansea from Aston Villa, but with 46 caps to his name at only 25, and with the likes of Marseilles on his CV (he made 111 appearances for the French club), Ayew seems destined to end up at a club in the top half of the Premier League. This is backed up by the bookies, where bigfreebet.com are sure on a move away from the Swans.

Last season they endured a tough season where relegation at times looked almost inevitable, even if Paul Clement’s arrival seems to have galvanized the club and offered hopes of a more solid season next time around.

It could be argued that Ayew could slot in nicely at a West Ham, or an Everton – his pace and threatening play would suit their wider style quite nicely. Just imagine service from Michail Antonio in towards Ayew! His brother Andre, of course, already pulls on the claret of the Hammers and so there could be that added dynamic as well.

His days at Swansea are, of course, still in their tender numbers. However, long-term it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see him make the move to East London.

His international strike partner, of course, is Ghanaian record scorer and record cap holder Asamoah Gyan. This is a player plying his trade in the Middle East, but he has spent time in England with recently relegated Sunderland. The Black Cats fans loved seeing him wearing their colours, and when rumours were circulating in the summer that he could be on his way back the place was, for a while, buzzing.

Of course, no move materialised. He did express his determination to sign for an English club, and Reading seemed to be the frontrunners right up until that move didn’t happen either. Gyan could slot in well at someone like Premier League new boys Brighton or Huddersfield.

However, perhaps a move to a Stoke or Southampton could prove mutually beneficial as well. While he perhaps isn’t the most technically gifted striker, his eye for goal makes him a fan favourite wherever he tends to play.

The issue with Gyan, of course, is his reported £225k plus per week contract. But if a Premier League club were able to broker some kind of deal he would surely make his name known on English shores once again.