Brighton eye bargain move for former Arsenal academy winger Philip Otele

Brighton are tracking CFR Cluj winger Philip Otele, who is one of the stars of Romania’s top-flight.

The 24-year-old has 13 goals and six assists in 30 league matches, having embarked on a unique pathway that has taken him from the lower leagues of English football to across Europe.

The Seagulls’s impressive data-driven approach has surfaced Otele as one of Europe’s hidden gems, valued by Cluj at around £3million.

But the right-footed attacker, who plays on the left wing, would initially spend time on loan at partner club Union St Gilloise in Belgium before getting a chance in the Premier League.

Moises Caicedo, Denis Undav and Simon Adingra are among the first-team players to have benefited with a spell in the Belgian top-flight before ultimately returning.

The Nigerian trained with Arsenal as a 14-year-old, but couldn’t stay in the UK due to visa restrictions.

He returned to the UK to study at Teesside University while also playing semi-professional football for Wolviston, before building a career in Europe.

Otele first went professional through Kauno Zalgiris in Lithuania back in 2019.

He then earned a €300,000 move to Romanian minnows UTA Arad and, after 18 months, he joined Romanian giants Cluj for €650k, where he has since reached UEFA Conference League level.