Al Ain chief executive Carlo Nohra has admitted that the club are prepared to offer on-loan striker Asamoah Gyan a permanent deal.
The Sunderland frontman, who is currently in the United Arab Emirates on a temporary contract from the Stadium of Light, has previously claimed that he is unlikely to return to the Premier League.
"I'm very confident that he will be staying," Nohra told Sport360°. "He has indicated on a number of occasions that he would like to remain at the club.
"There is a loan agreement that we need to work out with Sunderland, but what is really important is that the player wants to be here and we would like to keep him. So now it's about working out the logistics of a transfer.
"That doesn't mean it's going to happen, but the seeds are there for us to ensure that this becomes a long-term deal."
The Ghana international has found the net 22 times since making the switch to Al Ain.
Danielle Joynson
