Gift Orban sparks controversy again after saying he won’t play for Arsenal by also turning down any possible move to Saudi Arabia.

Controversy continues to surround Nigerian striker Gift Orban, who recently made headlines for his remarks about English Premier League side Arsenal. Orban, who has been in exceptional form with 20 goals in 20 games for Gent this season, appears to have caused another stir.

Orban’s initial dig at Arsenal, stating that they are not the kind of team he wants to play for due to their lack of trophy wins compared to other Premier League rivals, drew criticism from various quarters. In a quote attributed to him by Sporza, he expressed his ultimate dream of playing in the Premier League and mentioned clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool, and Manchester City as his preferred destinations: “My ultimate dream is to play in the Premier League. Man United, Liverpool, Man City. I don’t like Arsenal alone, it’s like they don’t want to win titles. I want to go somewhere where they do.”

After receiving backlash, Orban’s camp issued a statement suggesting that his words were meant as a joke rather than a serious critique.

However, during the same interview, when asked about the possibility of a move to Saudi Arabia, where he would undoubtedly earn a significantly higher salary than any European team at this stage of his career, Orban was frank in his response. He emphasized the importance of aiming high in life and acknowledged that nobody would turn down a bigger salary, including himself. Nonetheless, he asserted that he is still too young for such a move and dismissed the idea of playing in a stadium with only three supporters: “You have to aim high in life, and who says no to a bigger salary? (laughs) Neither do you? But I’m still too young for Saudi Arabia. Playing in a stadium with 3 supporters is not for me.”

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