Gift Orban set for second transfer in space of a year

Gift Orban set for second transfer in space of a year
Credit: Icon Sport

Nigerian striker Gift Orban is closing in on a move to Olympique Lyon, according to French outlet L'Equipe.

Orban is expected to command a transfer fee of around €13 million and will put pen to paper on a four-and-a-half-year contract.

The 21-year-old only just moved to his current employers Gent last January and scored an impressive 20 goals in 22 matches in his debut season which saw him linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur and nominated for the CAF Young Player of the Year award.

Orban has picked up where he left off last term with 11 goals in 20 games to his name so far and is now set to be rewarded with a move to Lyon as the Ligue 1 side look to turn what has been a calamitous season so far around.

Having managed just 16 points from 18 matches so far, Lyon currently sit 16th in the league table just past the midway point of the campaign.

Also, only three teams in the top tier of French football have found the back of the net on fewer occasions than Pierre Sage's men this term so it is unsurprising that they are looking to add more attacking firepower.

Gift Orban could be Lyon's main man for years to come

With Alexandre Lacazette already approaching the twilight of his career, Lyon are already reinforcing their centre-forward options for the future and signed 20-year-old Ernest Nuamah last summer.

Acquiring the services of Gift Orban signals long-term thinking once again and Lyon are set to have one of the most promising young strikers on their hands.

While Orban is far from the finished article at 21, he has racked up 50 career goals already in just 66 matches, including 13 goals in 14 European outings.

The striker is currently on the longest goal drought of his career – seven matches – but there is no denying the amount of potential he has shown since bursting onto the scene in 2022.

As Lyon seek to steer clear of relegation danger in the second half of the ongoing season, they will be hoping that Orban's impending arrival at the Groupama Stadium pays dividends both immediately and in the years to come.

This article was most recently revised and updated 10 months ago

Avid football fan who enjoys writing about the beautiful game. Firm believer of the notion that attack is the best form of defence.