Gift Orban’s woes at Lyon continue as exit talks intensify

Nigerian striker Gift Orban has been excluded from Lyon’s squad for their French Ligue 1 against Angers at the Stade Raymond-Kopa on Saturday, further fuelling talks that he will leave in January, Soccernet.ng reports.

Orban has struggled badly since his transfer to French giants Lyon in January. Although he was a potent goalscorer for Gent during his time in Ligue 1, the 22-year-old has not even had enough opportunities to prove his quality on the pitch.

This season, Orban has featured in only five games, and he has provided two goals. In most cases, he has been left out of the matchday squad. It also does not seem like Lyon coach Pierre Sage will increase his minutes anytime soon, as Orban has also been omitted from the team that will take on Angers on Saturday.

Due to Orban’s struggles, there has been a lot of talk about his future, amid interest from the German Bundesliga and the Turkish Super Lig.

Moreover, Les Gones are having financial difficulties, and they are looking to offload some players to balance their books and avoid financial fair play breaches.

Lyon still have three games before the turn of the year, and if the current trend continues, in January, he may have to push for a transfer to another club to get more playing time.