Super Eagles striker, Emmanuel Emenike, is set to replace Ghana captain, Asamoah Gyan, at United Arab Emirates side Al Ain, with the Black Star leaving for Shanghai SIPG of China.
The 29-year-old arrived in China on Wednesday to undergo a medical and finalise a contract with the club.
Emenike, who is due to arrive in the UAE on Thursday to complete a season-long loan from Turkish side Fenerbahce, will need to rediscover his goalscoring form if he hopes to emulate the Ghanaian.
The 28-year-old only scored four league goals in 27 matches for his Turkish side this season while Gyan scored 95 times in 83 appearances for Al Ain in his four years in the UAE. He also won three domestic league titles and was top scorer in the Arabian Gulf League for three seasons.
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On his departure, Gyan was presented an award for his dedicated service to the club.
“I am lost for words,” he said on his official website.
“This club will always have a special place in my heart no matter what happens in future. I want to really thank the entire Al Ain club and its fans for the support they have me in my time here. At Al Ain we were able to achieve a lot of things and I tell you this club will remain in my heart forever.
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“It is however time to embrace a new challenge and hopefully this new challenge will be as successful as or even better than my time here at Al Ain.”
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