Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has confirmed Asamoah Gyan has left the club on-loan for Al Ain.
Bruce was forced to admit defeat in his efforts to refocus his £13million-plus record signing on the club just 48 hours after believing he had done just that.
Asked if Gyan could return to the Stadium of Light to see out the final two years of his contract, the manager, who only learnt of the latest development at 9.15am on Saturday morning, replied: "He can, but I can't see it. He's been unsettled now, if we are being brutally honest, for weeks and months.
"Real Madrid was the first one, which I laughed at five months ago, but it started with that and it's ended up with the United Arab Emirates.
"It's disappointing, but we draw a line under it. The one thing I will say is I have never ever kept a person at a football club who didn't want to be there, and that belief will always be there whether I manage Sunderland or whether I manage any other club.
"If you don't want to play for the team and play for the club and play for the jersey, then what's the point?
"We decided to cut the best deal possible and we move on."
