Gift Orban has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham this summer after scoring goals for fun for Belgian side Gent
Gift Orban is on the lips of all Tottenham fans at present as the club look for the perfect replacement for Harry Kane. Finally parting with the England captain last Saturday after months of speculation regarding his long-term future, Ange Postecoglou and Spurs now need to find the 30-year-old's successor.
The Nigerian has started the 2023/24 season where he left off back in June with five goals in four games, including a hat-trick in the team's 5-0 win over Pogon Szczecin in their Europa Conference League third round qualifier.
The Premier League define a homegrown player as "a player who, irrespective of nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to The Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons, or 36 months, before his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21)".
Teams are also able to name players 21 and under on an under-21 list, which frees up space in the 25-man squad in the process. For the 2023/24 campaign, under-21 players will have had to be born on or after 1 January 2002 to make the list.
Having a number of issues with their non-homegrown players in the past, Spurs at present are three over the limit of 17 and will have to move players on or leave them out of the squad in order to hit the required number. Despite hailing from Benue State in Nigeria, the potential arrival of Orban would not have any impact whatsoever on Tottenham's foreign player numbers.
As he was born on July 17, 2002, Orban would not have to be registered in the club's Premier League squad but he would still be eligible to feature in the competition as he would instead be part of the under-21 list due to his age. However, this would only be for the 2023/24 season as the following campaign he would have to be included as a non-homegrown player as the Premier League rules will stipulate that under-21 players will have had to be born on or after the 1 January 2003 to make the list.
Not only potentially signing a very good goalscorer in Orban, a move for the Gent ace would also help Tottenham out massively when it comes to submitting their 25-man squad for the season.