Nigerian forward Gift Orban has agreed to a €13 million transfer from Gent to French club Olympique Lyon after only one year in Belgium.
Orban joined Gent from Norwegian club Stabaek in January after impressing in Norway, where he helped Stabaek win promotion to the top league with 22 goals in 27 games.
He signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the Belgian club, and after only a year, Lyon reached an agreement with Gent to sign Orban this transfer window.
Orban flew from Belgium to France on Wednesday to settle the terms of his contract with Lyon, which is anticipated to last until the end of the 2027–2028 season.
According to transfer market specialist Fabrizio Romano, Lyon has clinched the deal for the Nigerian, with the Ligue 1 club poised to spend €13 million to make it happen.
In Belgium, Orban was an instant success with Gent, scoring 20 goals and assisting on two occasions in just six month.
His impressive achievements earned him call-ups to the Nigeria national team, but he was unable to play owing to unresolved difficulties regarding his nationality. He is reported to be linked with Togo, where he developed and was discovered after leaving Nigeria.
The player’s move to Lyon may be linked to his current situation with Gent’s manager, Hein Vanhaezebrouck, who has addressed issues in the dressing room and off-field since the start of the season.
This season, the player has scored 12 goals in 30 appearances across all competitions. Lyon is expected to announce the deal soon.
