Football News : Bruce: Greed the driving force for players

By ESPNsoccernet staff

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce believes spiralling levels of "money and greed" in football means clubs can no longer hold onto their key players.

• Bruce unhappy with Gyan


Sunderland recently lost star striker Asmoah Gyan, who moved on loan to the United Arab Emirates club Al Ain for a reported £200,000 a week, and last January saw leading goalscorer Darren Bent leave the Stadium of Light to join Aston Villa.

Bruce specifically said that Gyan's summer move to the UAE was motivated by money and not by football but also believes the problem is widespread.

He said: "The power now is with the players. For all the greatness of the Premier League, money and greed now spirals out of control.

"If Arsenal can't keep hold of players, we have to accept that Sunderland are going to find it difficult, too. It's part and parcel of what any club will face if someone is determined to go, whether it be Cesc Fabregas or Fernando Torres at Liverpool.

"I can understand anyone who wants to better themselves. Ambition is what makes the great players great players. That's normal. That's what makes the best. The rest? They're driven by something else, which I can never come to terms with.

"If we're not careful, we're going to alienate the man in the street."