As reported by afrik-foot.com last week, 24-year-old Super Eagles hopeful Philip Otele is on the radar of English Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion.
Known for their dexterity in scouting, Otele might be the next in line at the Seagulls to make an impression after moving to the Amex.
Moses Caicedo, now at Chelsea, Simon Adingra, and others made their breakthrough with Brighton, and it looks likely that Otele will tow that line.
The CFR Cluj striker has caught the eye this term with goals and impressive performances to put the likes of Lorient and Bordeaux on notice but had their offers rejected.
Brighton hope to lure the Nigerian to England, and if the plan works, they will loan him out to Union Saint-Gilloise like they did with Adingra, which turned out to be a masterstroke.
CFR Cluj owner Ioan Varga confirmed that English side Brighton and Hove Albion have indeed make contact for the Nigerian striker.
“Indeed, Brighton is interested in Otele! There were some first contacts, especially since Brighton has a former player close to CFR Cluj. It is about the current coach, De Zerbi.”
De Zerbi factor
“De Zerbi knows Cluj very well; he knows the CFR very well,” Varga told Fanatik.
“There are already first contacts. We didn’t delve into things because we are in the middle of the championship. I didn’t go into detail. I wouldn’t say they’re negotiable at the moment.”
Varga believes Otele, who has not represented Nigeria at any level, can flourish in the English game as he has all the attributes to make it in England.
“They and we are in the middle of the championship. We are still fighting for the goals, and we haven’t gone deep into things, but there are already first contacts. I repeat, also taking into account the fact that De Zerbi knows in detail everything that means CFR Cluj,” he continued.
“Otele’s price is £6m. Of course, anything can be negotiated, but this is the price at which we want to sell him in the Premier League if the negotiations with Brighton go through.
Philip Otele has the attributes to succeed in England
“In my opinion, Otele copes without problems. He is a very strong player, a player who will certainly last in the Premier League. He is a physical player, an extraordinarily technical player, and I think he would be a very good investment for the future for Brighton, especially as high-value strikers cost from £30-40 million upwards,” he added.
“We’ll see in the coming weeks what happens. It is very important to play well and score. It is clear that then his price will increase.”
Philip Otele has scored 13 goals this season with six assists as CFR Cluj finished third in the regular season and qualified for the playoffs.
