Official: Super Eagles invitee Gift Orban joins Hoffenheim in €12m Bundesliga switch

German Bundesliga side TSG Hoffenheim have officially announced the signing of Nigerian forward Gift Orban from French club Olympique Lyon, Soccernet.football reports.

The 21-year-old has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2028-2029 season.

Orban’s transfer fee is reported to be €9 million upfront, with an additional €3 million in performance-related add-ons. Lyon will also receive 7.5% of any capital gains from a potential future transfer.

The dual-national striker, who is also eligible to represent Togo through his mother, had a brief but impactful stint in France.

He featured in 16 Ligue 1 matches for Lyon and made five additional appearances across domestic and European competitions, scoring five goals in total.

One of Orban’s standout moments came earlier this season when he scored a crucial brace in Lyon’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Strasbourg. However, with Lyon languishing in the lower half of Ligue 1, the dynamic forward opted for a fresh challenge in Germany.

“In Gift Orban we have found exactly the fast striker with good depth that we were looking for,” said Andreas Schicker, Managing Director of Sport at Hoffenheim.

“Gift has repeatedly demonstrated his goal threat and his joy of playing in his previous positions, so we are convinced that his skills will give our team greater variability in attack.”

Orban’s move is a significant step in his career, having previously played in Norway and Belgium before his stint in France. Now, he is set to bring his flair and goal-scoring nous to a Hoffenheim side currently battling relegation. The club sits 15th in the Bundesliga table with 14 points from 15 matches.

Orban will reunite with fellow Nigerian international Kevin Akpoguma at Hoffenheim.