Ghanain ready to take Premier League by storm

Few would have expected Sunderland to land the big money move of the transfer window, but the addition of £13m Asamoah Gyan raised a few eyebrows amongst their Premier League counterparts.

The striker may be remembered for a crucial penalty miss in the World Cup for Ghana, but he can help to put that disappointment to bed by getting off to a flying start with Sunderland, beginning at Wigan this weekend.

At 24 years of age, Gyan has had spells in both Italy, with Udinese, and, more recently, with Rennes in France.

While he has had injury problems reducing his club appearances, it’s with the national team where he has impressed most, keeping up a ratio of a goal every other game in his 44 appearances.

In 2007 the Ghanaian was linked with Arsenal and Manchester United after a fine pre-season for Udinese, but decided against a move to the Premier League.

Three years later, Steve Bruce has managed to lure him to Sunderland for a club record fee and plenty of Fantasy League managers will be following suit.

Despite being knocked out in the World Cup Quarter-Finals, Ghana’s campaign was a successful one, being the only African nation to progress to the knockout stages.

That was thanks mainly to a total of three goals and an assist from Gyan, scoring 16 Fantasy League points (knockout points doubled.)

His penalty miss in the last minute of normal time against Uruguay may have cost them a semi-final berth, but the one he converted in the subsequent shoot-out the striker proved his composure and eye for goal.

This was to eventually prove meaningless to the result, but proves his ability to step up after a vital miss, a valuable trait for a striker as Fantasy League legend Andy Cole once proved.

Gyan is blessed with electric pace, but also combines skill and finishing ability in his game.

Some may question whether he has the strength to make it in the Premier League, although his goal for Ghana against USA in the World Cup proved he’s not lacking in this department either.

The sale of Kenwyne Jones to Stoke in mid August and the subsequent injury picked up by Fraizer Campbell has left the Black Cats with only a few striking options.

However, the recent acquisitions of Gyan, as well as Danny Welbeck from Manchester United, can only help them in a quest to score more goals.

Now Steve Bruce is blessed with a trio of strikers in good form, Gyan has already spoken out of his determination to succeed in the Premier League, while both Bent and Welbeck scored in recent England and England-U21 internationals.

While it’s unlikely that Gyan will wrestle penalty duties away from Bent, the two have the potential to form a deadly partnership, both with the ability to thrive on service from the likes of Steed Malbranque, Jordan Henderson, Lee Cattermole and, when fit, Andy Reid.

After this weekend Sunderland have a tough run of fixtures, facing Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, which makes the trip to Wigan all the more important for picking up three points.

Wigan themselves have already shown this season their ability to ship goals, despite their clean sheet against Spurs last time out.

In Bruce, Sunderland also have a manager familiar with many of the Latics’ team from his time as manager there.

Time will tell whether the largest amount of money paid on deadline day will be worthwhile, but don’t be surprised to see Gyan celebrating with a debut goal this weekend.