Who is Gift Orban? The Gent goal machine wanted by Man Utd and Chelsea

Tom Weber

• Updated: 18 May 2023 16:48 BST
• 4 min read

Gift Orban is tearing it up in Belgium for KAA Gent and he has emerged as one of Europe's hottest commodities this season.

The Belgian club took note of the 20-year-old Nigerian following a 16-goal season in Norway's second tier, and Orban has started life in one of Europe's top development leagues like a house on fire. The striker is finding the back of the net at a rate of a goal per game, and this has earned him links to the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea.

But who is Gift Orban and how good is he actually? FootballTransfers takes a look.

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What position does Orban play?

Orban is a rapid striker, who prefers to stay very high up the pitch to make use of his blistering pace when his team is in possession.

How good is Orban?

Though the 20-year-old is scoring for fun, he is far from the finished product, which is understandable given his rapid ascent up the footballing ladder. By far his biggest asset is his speed and the instinct of when to make use of it, not losing a step even when in possession.

His biggest flaws are his lack of physicality and poor decision-making. Though far from small, Orban is something of a lightweight who can get easily dispossessed, which can, in turn, affect his confidence during games. He is also still raw when it comes to shot selection.

Gift Orban has scored 19 goals in 19 games across all competitions for Gent since making his January switch from Stabaek. On March 15, Orban scored the fastest hattrick in UEFA competitions against Istanbul Basaksehir in the Conference League, netting thrice in just 3 minutes and 24 seconds. He again bagged a hattrick in his most recent game against Cercle Brugge in the Jupiler Pro League.

How tall is Orban?

Orban is 178 cm or 5 ft 10 in tall.

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What clubs are interested in Orban?

According to the Evening Standard, Manchester United and Chelsea are keeping tabs on Orban, while Fulham and Tottenham are also interested. Given his acute physical shortcomings, however, it is doubtful whether he would thrive in the Premier League. Perhaps a move to the Bundesliga or Serie A would suit him better.

When does Orban's contract expire?

Orban's contract runs until June 30, 2027.

How old is Orban?

Orban was born on July 17, 2002, making him 20 years old.

What is Orban's Instagram?

His Instagram account is @giftorban and has 26.3k followers as of May 18, 2023.