Asamoah Gyan: The downfall of one of the highest-paid footballers in the world

Asamoah Gyan, once a multimillionaire from his successful international football career, has opened up about his financial struggles during the later stages of his career. The former Sunderland forward revealed that his account was reduced to just 724 euros, according to GhanaWeb.

Relationship problems and custody disputes left the former Ghanaian international in a bit of a pickle. However, the former Premier League striker has reinvented himself as a successful entrepreneur.

Asamoah Gyan rose to fame during the 2010/2011 Premier League season, after Sunderland completed his transfer from Rennes for a £13 million ($16 million/€15.7 million) fee.

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It was a club record for the Black Cats, and the gamble paid off. During his first season, Gyan scored 10 goals in 31 appearances, according to Transfermarkt.

After a very quiet season with Sunderland in 2011, Gyan packed his bags for Al-Ain in the UAE, which marked the beginning of his peak earning years.

According to ESPN, the striker was cashing in approximately €190,000 a week. From 2011/2015, he managed to score a total of 128 goals in 123 matches, not a bad ratio.

However, he was heavily criticized for his 'unethical' hairstyles under local regulations. In 2015 Gyan packed his bags again and joined Shanghai SIPG, during the midst of the Chinese football boom.

The former Premier League striker was cashing in a total of €274,000 per week, surpassing stars like Neymar and Bale, reports Sky Sports.

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Gyan scored 8 goals in 26 games, which ended up costing the team around €3.6 million per goal, reports Modern Ghana.

During his final years as a professional footballer, he slowly began to decline in skill and form. He played for Shabab Al-Ahli, Kayserispor, NorthEast United, and Legon Cities, before officially retiring in 2023 at the age of 37.

Gyan revealed his wealth had vanished following his departure from football, due to family disputes, unpaid wages, and other major financial mismanagement.

Following his divorce from the famous influencer Gifty, he was ordered to provide substantial assets to her, which included a house in the UK, a home in Accra, two luxury cars, and a gas station.

Following his financial ruin, the former Ghanaian striker reinvented himself as a successful entrepreneur. He began to mingle with the boxing world and other sports like tennis. He also founded Baby Jet Airlines Limited, alongside other food brands, while running a bus and gas station business back home.

Gyan also established the 'Asamoah Gyan Foundation', that focuses primarily on youth development in Ghana. He has constantly declared himself publicly neutral in national politics, while he much rather focuses on humanitarian efforts in his home country.

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