Birmingham City are interested in FC Basel winger Phillip Otele but will have to beat Crystal Palace to his signature, according to GiveMeSport.
Birmingham City entered the Championship full of confidence after storming to the League One title as record-breakers. BCFC made no secret of their ambition to compete for promotion straight away.
A sluggish start brought early criticism, but momentum has since shifted. A run of four wins, one draw and two defeats in November lifted BCFC from 17th to 9th, leaving them just two points off the play-offs.
Image courtesy of: ANDREW BOYERS/REUTERS.
A new forward is on the radar of BCFC, according to GiveMeSport. They are reporting that FC Basel winger Philip Otele is wanted by Birmingham City in January.
Crystal Palace are also keen on signing the 26-year-old. Otele would reportedly cost around €8-10m to sign.
Who is Birmingham City target Philip Otele?
Otele’s senior career began in England’s non-league tiers with Wolviston FC from 2017 to 2019, where his flair and creativity started to attract attention. Seeking a bigger platform, he moved to Kauno Zalgiris in Lithuania in 2019, scoring five goals in 20 games and helping the club finish third.
Image courtesy of: CRAIG BROUGH/REUTERS.
In 2021, he stepped up again by joining Romanian side UTA Arad, first on loan and then permanently. Over two seasons, he produced 14 goals and seven assists in 50 league matches, earning interest from scouts and securing a pre-contract with CFR Cluj in early 2023.
His time at Cluj proved highly successful, as he hit 11 goals in 25 Liga I games while also contributing in European qualifiers. That form attracted wider transfer attention and eventually led to a €3.5m move to Al Wahda in the UAE, where he settled quickly with four goals in 15 league outings.
Philip Otele’s career stats
On January 15, 2025, Basel brought him in on loan with an option to buy, adding pace and versatility to their attack. By December 2025, he had produced 19 goals and eight assists in 47 games, earning praise from former boss Adrian Mutu and a provisional Nigeria AFCON call-up.
Birmingham City’s current attacking options
BCFC are blessed with attacking options, but Otele would still be a big signing. Summer signings Demarai Gray and Patrick Roberts are the current starting options out wide.
A key part of BCFC’s recent form has been the developing partnership of Jay Stansfield and Marvin Ducksch, who have become a formidable attacking duo. Both players are prime examples of Birmingham’s smart recruitment in recent transfer windows.
Otele would be excellent competition for those four players. The 26-year-old could be the man to push their current starters and get the best out of them ahead of the second-half of the season.