Belgium top division side Gent are bracing up for the exit of Nigerian striker Gift Orban, six months after he joined the team from second division Norwegian side Stabæk, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Orban was signed on transfer deadline day of the January transfer window and he wasted no time in getting into the grove for his new team, with as many as 20 goals in 22 games from January till the end of the season. A run that caught the fancy of teams in other European leagues.
As we first reported on the 25th of May his representatives and the 20 year old have agreed on a move to French Ligue 1 side Lille, recent reports indicate that all regarding personal terms have been agreed by all parties involved in the deal.
What is still missing is an agreement between both teams on his transfer fee. Gent wants a fee in excess of €20m potentially rising to €30m with add ons but Lille value him in the region of €15m with future payments rising to around €20m.
A formal bid will be submitted later this week with Lille confident of signing the Nigerian, who is also keen on joining them as he views the move as the next big step in the development of his career.
Sources close to the forward revealed that a deal that would have seen him join Chelsea and subsequently loaned out to their sister team in the Ligue 1 Strasbourg was rejected by the camp of the player.
Daniel Martins