Leeds United plan to bring Nigerian wonderkid Gift Orban to the Premier League next season

ENGLISH Premier league giants Leeds United are contemplating making a summer swoop for Nigerian wonderkid Gift Orban with a view to meeting the £17.6m (€20m) asking price being demanded by his Belgian club Gent.

Orban, 20, is the new Nigerian kid on the block, currently enjoying tremendous breakthrough campaign in Belgium scoring 14 goals in just nine appearances for Gent since joining the side in January. His red hot form has attracted a lot of attention from English Premier League clubs and the Nigerian Football Federation too.

Regarded as a potential world class player, Orban broke the record for the fastest-ever hat trick in any Uefa competition on March 15, in three minutes and 25 seconds in a 4-1 win over Turkish side Basaksehir. This came just three days after he set the Belgian league alight with four goals in a 6-2 Jupiler Pro League victory at Zulte Waragem.

Leeds need to replace ageing and injury-prone striker Patrick Bamford at the end of the season and Orban holds the characteristics and abilities necessary to become a true replacement. Also, Leeds United are really building an exciting crop of young stars in West Yorkshire, having plucked their breakout star this season from outside of the big five European leagues in Willy Gnonto.

With Barcelona teenager, Ilias Akhomach, also on the brink of signing a four-year deal at Elland Road, Leeds sporting director Victor Orta sees the club building a very young team going forward.  Despite being caught in a relegation battle, Leeds are still being linked with some of Europe’s most prestigious young talents, which us why the club’s board is severely anxious to secure their status in the English top flight for next season.