Sunderland have smashed their transfer record to land Ghana World Cup star Asamoah Gyan.
The 24-year-old was one of the brightest stars to emerge from this summer’s showpiece in South Africa, and has joined the Black Cats from French side Rennes in a deal worth over £13m.
Gyan has penned a four-year deal after successfully completing a medical and manager Steve Bruce was delighted to sign the Ghanaian, who he has been chasing since last summer.
Bruce told Sky Sports News: “A lot of people worked extremely hard and thankfully we’ve got him.
“It’s a hell of a lot of money, we all know that in today’s climate. But fair play to the owner, he understood the necessity of it and it’s a fantastic signing for us.
“It’s just the right time. We had a good result at the weekend and we’ve managed to bring in another top-class striker.
“It’s amazing that it’s come down to the last day and that we’ve pulled off the club-record signing.
“We’ve had to be patient – I didn’t think it was going to be possible two weeks ago – but we’ve got it through. It’s a great piece of business for us and we’re all delighted.”
Gyan’s arrival has led to the £3m sale of forward Martyn Waghorn to Championship side Leicester.