Asamoah Gyan is set for a return to the UAE with a loan deal to current champions Al Ahli set to be completed.

Joy Sports understands that the  Arabian Gulf League club got into contact with the 30-year old after he was unable to complete a deal with English championship side Reading.

Al Ahli is a fierce rival of Al Ain, where Gyan spent four productive years between 2012 and mid-2015. The move will be controversial because of the heated nature of games between the two sides, but the Ghana captain will relish it.

Even more special in the move is that Al Ahli won last season's league ahead of Al Ain by nine points.

Having joined Shanghai SIPG in the Chinese Super League last year for a huge fee, Gyan's constant injury problems meant he could only bag seven goals in 20 games overall.

Fortunately for him and Al Ain, the club's Senegalese striker Moussa Sow is on his way out on a loan deal to former club Fenerbahce.

This opens the way for Al Ahli to fill their foreign player quota. UAE clubs are allowed only a specific number of foreign players in their squads and Al Ain have Sow, Rodrigo Lima, Everton Ribeiro and Kwon Kyung-won.

Also key is Cosmin Olaroiu, the manager who oversaw Gyan's signing at Al Ain in 2012. The coach has always admired the Ghana star and is said to be keen on working with him again. Gyan scored 128 goals in 123 matches in his former spell in the UAE, making him an instant league legend. 

Asamoah won three league titles, scoring 95 goals in 83 league matches in a four year period. In 2014, he was also the Asian Champions League top scorer with 12 goals.

The UAE season kicks off on September 17.

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FEATURE: Why this is the most important transfer window of Gyan's career

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Follow Gary on Twitter: @garyalsmith

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