Gift Orban: The meteoric rise of the striker Spurs are keeping an eye on

This summer, we are running a series profiling 50 exciting players under the age of 25 who they are, how they play, and why they could be attracting interest in the coming transfer windows. So far, we have run the rule over a striker onManchester Uniteds radar, Gen-Zs answer toSergio Busquetsand theFranceforward who has

This summer, we are running a series profiling 50 exciting players under the age of 25 — who they are, how they play, and why they could be attracting interest in the coming transfer windows.

So far, we have run the rule over a striker on Manchester United’s radar, Gen-Z’s answer to Sergio Busquets and the France forward who has gone from zero to €100million in the space of a year. You can find all our profiles until now here.

It’s an easy play on words, but as long as the records continue to tumble for Gift Emmanuel Orban, it’s hard not to say the line.

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Twenty-six goal contributions in almost 20 full games of Norwegian football. Twenty-eight goal contributions in just under 24 90-minute periods since joining Belgian side Gent. 

Seven professional braces, three career hat-tricks and one four-goal haul. The fastest treble in UEFA club competition history, wrapping up a game in 205 seconds. All before turning 21, with less than 4,000 minutes of European football to his name. 

Plucked from footballing obscurity, Orban really is the gift that keeps on giving.

Looking back through a fledgling career, Orban’s rapid ascent to coveted wonderkid status is striking. 

It’s barely been a year since he scored his first goal for Norwegian second-division side Stabaek, guiding a stooped header into the far corner against semi-professional side Notodden. Just 207 people were in attendance to witness the cultured finish that would kickstart a relentless scoring spree.

Orban made his league debut the following week, 12 match days into the 30-game season. Within a month, he had scored nine goals, all from within the penalty area, ultimately finishing as the division’s joint-top scorer despite his later start. 

Speaking to The Athletic in June, his agent, Emefie Atta Aneke, recalled Orban’s determination to make an impact in Norway. Aneke himself has a track record of bringing young African strikers — namely Odion Ighalo, David Datro Fofana and Victor Boniface — into European football via Scandinavia. 

“During his first break at Stabaek, he travelled back to Nigeria, but he carried on working so hard even though it was the off-season.”

“He has a crazy winning mentality, every session, every shot, he needs to win.”

As quickly as Orban arrived at the club, he was gone. A breathless half-season was all it took to convince Gent’s head of scouting, Samuel Cardenas, to make a move and he soon encountered that relentless desire for success himself.

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“We knew that he was really competitive but now, in person, seeing him here every day, it’s even better than expected. He’s a guy who wants to win everything. He gets pissed (off) when he doesn’t win, which is good.”

Following extensive video and data scouting, Cardenas moved quickly to secure Orban’s signature, immediately impressed with the variety of finishes on show.

“Outside of the box, tap-ins, left foot, right foot, one-touch, two-touch, headers, goals from a corner, goals after a counter… he can do everything with both feet, he can combine, assist, cross and shoot,” Cardenas told The Athletic.

“I put my hand in the fire for him, it was a huge risk, not just professionally but personally.”

These two goals on his debut away at Westerlo proved Cardenas’ convictions correct almost immediately; the first an improvised acrobatic effort and the second demonstrating his anticipation, pace and ball-striking ability.

A couple of PlayStation finishes on his KAA Gent debut for Gift Orban (2002 🇳🇬). Signed this winter after a breakout season in Norway, where he scored 16 goals in the second division for Stabæk. Excited to watch him in Belgium.pic.twitter.com/afcivAthGA

— Scouted Football (@scoutedftbl) February 13, 2023

Since then, it’s been much more of the same, a combination of incisive movement and spectacular finishes making Orban a constant threat from all over the pitch.

Here against Istanbul Basaksehir, for example, he first drops deep to play a nice flick into the path of team-mate Hyunseok Hong…

Before latching onto a return pass and thumping the ball past goalkeeper Volkan Babacan for the second goal of his famous three-minute hat-trick.

His stocky frame and low centre of gravity allows Orban to strike the ball powerfully and accurately, often looking to take on the shot as early as possible to catch the goalkeeper out.

With more time and space on the ball around the edge of the area, Orban’s approach is very reminiscent of Sergio Aguero, almost hunching over the ball as he takes lots of short touches with the outside of his boot before bursting into space with a heavier touch and throwing everything behind the shot.

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Here against Sint-Truidense, for example, Orban has one thing on his mind as he approaches the penalty area…

… powering past the defender and getting the shot away on his right foot.

He can be very nimble, too, particularly in transitional moments — he’s a quick striker who is adept at peeling into space and finishing from all angles.

In another goal from this season, the right-footed finish of a perfect hat-trick against Pogon Szczecin, Orban shows his pace to get on the end of a through pass, immediately bearing down on the penalty area.

He feigns to cut onto his left foot, forcing defender Benedikt Zech to spin around awkwardly as he backpedals…

… before seamlessly weaving onto his right, pushing the ball past the unbalanced defender and sweeping the ball into the far corner.

The striker’s shot map helps to reveal his tireless pursuit of goals, having attempted to score from all distances and angles in his 10 league matches last season, taking an average of 4.3 shots per game.

Despite that, Orban overperformed his expected goals (xG) tally by 6.6, pointing to clinical finishing inside the penalty area and an exceptional ability to turn low-danger situations into threatening efforts on goal.

As always, it’s important to exercise caution with xG overperformance in smaller sample sizes, but the signs look good for Orban.

De vijf pareltjes van gisteren herbeleven? 🤩 #GntPog

🎬 HIGHLIGHTS | https://t.co/fMB035oIaj pic.twitter.com/ZTn77b2YqO

— KAA Gent (@KAAGent) August 10, 2023

Apart from his prodigious shooting ability, Orban has shown himself capable of adding value during the build-up.

With nine career assists to his name, he likes to float wide and sometimes looks to clip crosses into his strike partners, although he does tend to prefer to shoot himself if the opportunity to cut inside arises.

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His smarterscout pizza chart tells the story, with a maximum rating of 99 for shot volume outlining his propensity to take aim in relation to the amount of touches he has.

A lower rating for his carry and dribble volume tells us that he doesn’t bring the ball forward himself too often, instead preferring to receive passes high up the pitch, but there have been glimpses of his ability to hold onto the ball under pressure.

Back in his debut campaign for Stabaek, for example, against runaway league leaders Brann, Orban was able to wriggle through two challenges to score a spectacular solo goal.

Even as he is knocked off balance while dodging the outstretched leg of defender Felix Horn Myhre…

… he somehow manages to stay on his feet, poke the ball through the gap, before rounding the goalkeeper and rolling the ball into an empty net.

No matter where Orban picks up the ball, danger is rarely far away.

Unsurprisingly, Orban has started the new season in ruthless fashion, already on six goals across all competitions. Interest has understandably started to peak and The Athletic understands that Tottenham — with a huge Harry Kane-sized hole to fill — have been monitoring the young striker’s progress.

⏱ | Gift Orban had geen tijd te verliezen. 😮 #STAGNT pic.twitter.com/fNq2pn5ovn

— Eleven Belgium (NL) (@ElevenBeNL) May 6, 2023

Questions remain about his relative inexperience, having only just made 50 appearances in European football, while his eye for the spectacular can sometimes cloud his judgment in attacking situations.

Seven of his 13 shots in the Belgian League this season have come from outside the box, while the instance below against MSK Zilina in the Europa Conference League qualifiers captures his occasional overambition, as Orban attempts a first-time volley on the swivel, with his weaker foot, from range.

He has, however, hit the crossbar from the halfway line against Antwerp, while an overhead kick from the edge of the box against West Ham also rattled the woodwork. He is a free spirit and that is what makes him so enjoyable to watch.

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A move to the Premier League at this stage in his career would be a huge leap, but Orban isn’t usually one to waste any time.

(Top photo: Getty Images; design: Sam Richardson)

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