Premier League side, Fulham, are plotting a move to sign Nigerian striker, Gift Orban before the close of the summer transfer window.
The Nigerian is also on the radar of Tottenham Hotspur and French club Lille, with both teams in the race to sign the striker.
The Cottaggers see the 21-year-old petit forward as one of the three ideal replacements for Aleksandar Mitrovic, who left the London club for Al Hilal for a club record £46m.
Orban, who scored 20 goals in 22 matches after his January arrival from Norwegian second-division club Stabaek last season, has proven he is not a one-season wonder as he has already bagged six strikes in six games this season, including yet another hat-trick against Pogon Szczecin in UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers.
Gent’s Demand
Gent, however, want between £30m and £40m to sanction a sale for the 21-year-old, but Fulham are unwilling to match the fee quoted, according to a report on Belgian website hln.be.
“He (Orban) is one of three options to replace Mitrovic,” the report stated.
“Whether Fulham will also go full for him remains to be seen. At the moment there is no offer yet. And the asking price scares them off for the time being.
“The Buffalos won’t just let their top goal scorer go and at the moment there is a price tag of £30m to £40m on the Nigerian striker.
“The fee would be a new Belgian record, exceeding the money spent by AC Milan to sign Charles De Ketelaere from Club Brugge 12 months ago.
“That transfer saw De Ketelaere move for around £31m to the Rossoneri, but given Orban’s record in 2023, it is no surprise to see similar figures being touted.”
Gent will hope Orban can continue his impressive form when they face APOEL Nicosia in their Conference League first-leg play-off round later tonight.
The encounter will be the first-ever meeting for both teams in this competition. Gent reached the quarter-finals of the Conference League last season before being knocked out 5-2 on aggregate by eventual champions West Ham in the last eight.
Credit: punchng.com
