Official: Gift Orban joins TSG Hoffenheim as third Nigerian, inherits Baumgartner’s shirt

Super Eagles invitee, Gift Orban, has officially made the move to TSG Hoffenheim from Olympique Lyon for a reported €9 million fee, with an additional €3 million in potential add-ons, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 22-year-old striker has signed a contract that will keep him at the Bundesliga club until June 2029, which makes him Hoffenheim’s third Nigerian player, joining current defender Kevin Akpoguma and Chinedu Obasi, who played for the club between 2007 and 2012.

Hoffenheim’s Managing Director of Sports, Andreas Schicker, expressed excitement about the signing on the club’s official website.

“In Gift Orban, we have found exactly the fast striker with good depth that we were looking for. Gift has repeatedly proven his goal-scoring ability and his joy of playing at his previous stations, so we are convinced that he will bring greater variability to our attack with his skills.”

Orban’s time at KAA Gent was marked by a stunning goal-scoring record. Over the course of his 52 competitive appearances for the Belgian club between January 2023 and January 2024, Orban found the back of the net 32 times.

His performances in the Jupiler Pro League, UEFA Europa Conference League earned him widespread recognition as one of Europe’s most promising young strikers.

At Hoffenheim, Orban will wear the number 14 shirt, which became vacant in 2023 after Christoph Baumgartner’s departure.

Orban’s addition brings further depth to Hoffenheim’s attacking options as they aim to continue their fight against relegation in the German Bundesliga.