Olympique Lyonnais continues its downsizing during this winter transfer window. Plagued by financial difficulties and disappointing results, the Rhone club is seeking to reduce its payroll while restructuring its workforce. Among the players leaving, a striker recruited at a high price a year ago has never been able to convince and is now preparing to leave Les Gones. An operation which could relieve the club’s finances while offering a new start to this player in decline.
An unexpected boon for OL
Recruited for 14 million euros, Gift Orban was supposed to become a pillar of the Lyon attack. However, the Nigerian striker has never been able to establish himself in the OL jersey. Relegated to the bench by Pierre Sage, he only scored a few anecdotal goals and quickly lost the confidence of the technical staff.
According to information from L’Équipe, Hoffenheim is now in pole position to recover Orban. German leaders have reportedly offered 10 million euros, bonuses excluded, a sum which comes close to Lyon’s expectations. Negotiations are well underway, and an agreement could be reached in the coming days. There would also be an interest from Lens in this element.
Lyon could give up another attacker
By parting ways with Gift Orban, OL hopes to limit financial losses while rebalancing its workforce. This departure would also offer the player a chance to relaunch his career in the Bundesliga, a championship renowned for its ability to promote young offensive talents.
This transfer once again illustrates OL’s difficulties in maximizing their recent investments. With other expected departures, such as that of Wilfried Zaha, the winter transfer window promises to be crucial for the club, which must recover to hope for a better future.
