10 Footballers Who Claimed It Definitely Wasn't All About The Money

5. Asamoah Gyan

Sunderland signed Asamoah Gyan in 2010 in a deal worth around £13million from French club Rennes, and he quickly went on to become something of a fan favourite, making 34 Premier League appearances for the club, and scoring ten goals in his first season with some exceptional performances. But then, seemingly out of the blue, September 2011, Gyan joined United Arab Emirates side Al-Ain FC in a move which benefited both player and club in economic terms. Sunderland received up to £6million for the loan deal, whilst Gyan received a staggering six-times his salary as he took a big step down from the top tier in English football to playing in the UAE League. But that didn't seem to matter to the striker. Gyan went on to become the top goalscorer in the league, but whilst it's hardly a high standard of football and it's fairly clear to see that Gyan's move was based on money considering how well he might have done in other more competitive leagues. In 2012, the Ghanaian forward signed a five-year deal worth £6million a year, and most recently extended that contract, and his profit margin, until 2018. Impressively, the striker was named in the prestigious 'Goal 50' list of outstanding footballers for his performances in the Middle East, so imagine what he could have done by staying in Europe.