• Premier League

Sunderland deny looking to offload Gyan

Niall Quinn insists the club does not want to sell Asamoah Gyan © PA Photos

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Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn has dismissed speculation that striker Asamoah Gyan has been offered for sale.

A report suggested Gyan was being put up for sale to help fund a summer spending spree. His situation has been in the spotlight for several weeks amid reports that Tottenham could be ready to test Sunderland's resolve to hang on to him this summer.

In a statement, Quinn said: "The suggestion that we have spoken to an agent to sell this player on our behalf is embarrassing to all concerned.

"I hope our fans would be smart enough to realise that this is probably some other club or outside agent's way of attempting to destabilise our relationship with one of our players.''

The former Rennes striker headed for the Stadium of Light in a £13 million-plus move from Rennes last summer and scored 11 goals in his first campaign on Wearside. Manager Steve Bruce bought him to partner Darren Bent in attack, although his plans had to be ripped up when the England international left for Aston Villa in January.

Bruce's focus since has been the search for a player to complement the African and he has been linked with a long list of names, with Spurs pair Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko prominent among them.

The noises about Gyan's future have refused to go away, but with loan signing Danny Welbeck having returned to Manchester United and Fraizer Campbell facing most of next season on the sidelines with another serious knee injury, the club's striking resources are all but exhausted.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.