It has been claimed that Birmingham City would face competition from last season's FA Cup winners, Crystal Palace, in an attempt to bring Otele to play in England. According to Jacobs, Otele is expected to leave Basel this transfer window and his current employers have lowered their minimal asking price to approximately €7m. Otele is reportedly keen on a move to England, following previous interest over the summer from Fulham, Sevilla, OGC Nice, VfB Stuttgart, and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Lazio, Celtic and AFC Bournemouth have also made inquiries.

According to reports, Crystal Palace and Birmingham City are set to rival each other for the signature of Basel's 26-year-old Nigerian forward Philip Otele. He joined the Swiss club in July 2025 and has a contract until June 2028. In the current Super League season, Otele has made 16 appearances, scoring 4 goals and providing 3 assists. Transfermarkt estimates his market value to be €5.00m.