The Gyan Gamble
Steve Bruce has been determined to sell and replace Kenwyne Jones eversince the ink dried on his 3-year contract last summer. He was prepared to break our transfer record when Peter Crouch was looking for a new club, only for Crouch to turn us down in favour of a move toTottenham Hotspur. Bruce also explored the possibility of signing Kevin Kuranyi on a free transfer. However, it was Dynamo Moscow whosecured Kuranyi's services when his contract at Schalke expired at the end of June.
we didn't want you anyway mate, you look like Jafar out of Aladdin!!
Steve Bruce eventually signed Asamoah Gyan, a 24 year-old Ghanaian striker, for a record £13m fee. Of course, to sign Gyan, Bruce had to sell Kenwyne Jones first. Stoke City obliged, paying £8m to take them a step closer to having an all ex-Sunderland eleven. Tony Pulis appeared delighted with the deal, and Steve Bruce even more so as he led his back-room staff in a conga line. Allegedly, of course. However, as Bruce himself admitted, selling Jones was a very big decision and he would be judged on how he replaced him. Having sold Lorik Cana, Daryl Murphy and now Kenwyne Jones, Bruce was virtually guranteed funds to sign Jones' replacement. His decision to pay a record fee for Gyan will probably be the defining moment of his tim eat Sunderland and the Premier League has certainly seen its fair shar eof expensive flops. A brave decision by Steve Bruce, one which I hope will pay off.
Submitted by Mark Renja
7/9/2010
