English Championship clubs Birmingham City and Derby County have entered the race to sign Nigerian winger Philip Otele from Swiss side FC Basel.
Reports indicate that Derby County have already opened talks with Basel over a possible move for the 27-year-old, although both English clubs face competition from Italian Serie A outfits Lecce and Frosinone.
Otele spent the second half of last season on loan at Bundesliga side Hamburg but struggled to make a lasting impact, scoring just once in nine league appearances.
The German club opted not to make the transfer permanent, paving the way for his return to Basel.
The Swiss champions are reportedly willing to sell the Nigerian and are expected to demand a transfer fee of around €5 million.
