Super Eagles winger Philip Otele on the verge of completing a move to Serie A outfit Lecce from Swiss Super League champions FC Basel, according to reports.
The 26-year-old is expected to leave the St. Jakob-Park this summer after spending the 2025/26 season on loan at German Bundesliga 2 side Hamburger SV.
Otele made nine league appearances during his loan spell at Hamburg, scoring one goal, but the club opted not to activate the purchase option in his contract, which was reportedly valued between €4.5 million and €5 million.
According to multiple reports, Lecce have intensified their pursuit of the Nigerian and are scheduled to hold direct talks with FC Basel this week to finalise the transfer.
Basel are understood to be demanding a fee of around €3 million for the winger—the same amount they paid UAE Pro League side Al Wahda to secure his services in 2025.
Despite being contracted to Basel until June 2028, Otele now appears set for a fresh challenge in Italy, with negotiations progressing positively between the two clubs.
A move to Lecce would hand the former CFR Cluj star his first opportunity to feature in Serie A and continue his career in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
Otele has earned five caps for the Super Eagles and remains in contention for a place in Nigeria’s squad ahead of upcoming international fixtures.
