Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan has signed for United Arab Emirates side Al-Ain on loan.
The Ghanaian joined Sunderland from French club Rennes in August 2010 for £13m.
But on Friday, Sunderland boss Steve Bruce claimed “parasites” turned Gyan’s head after his goal in the 1-1 draw with England at Wembley in March.
And on Saturday it was announced that the striker, 25, was on his way to the UAE.
Bruce said: “Anyone who has seen Asamoah play will know that he hasn’t been himself in recent months. This option suits all parties at the present time and the club is well-protected in the deal.
“Asamoah has three years remaining on his contract and of course my wish would be that he finds his spark again and we see him in red and white stripes next season in the form that first attracted us to him.”
Throughout the transfer window, Gyan was linked with a move to a big European club.
On Friday Bruce blamed agents for turning Gyan’s head.
“Since that game at Wembley, all the parasites, as I call them, hover around,” said Bruce.
“People are in his ear constantly trying to engineer a deal for him. Certainly since the England game, when he played at Wembley so well on the night, something has been troubling him.
“It’s very difficult, the constant speculation, no matter what you try to quash or quell, and the people around him, the people who want to make a fast buck, and it affects him in the end.
“He was going from Real Madrid to Bayern Munich to Valencia to Atletico Madrid.”
Bruce added on Friday that he had challenged the striker to rediscover his form.
“I had a conversation with him two days ago to say: ‘Look, the window as now closed, Asa,” Bruce said. “Right, we need to see you back playing again and back the way you know you can play’.”
Gyan – who has yet to score this season – was due to miss Saturday’s Premier League match with Chelsea because of a hamstring problem picked up on international duty with Ghana
