Philip Otele: Why Super Eagles star is the solution to Lecce’s biggest weakness

Super Eagles attacker Philip Otele has been strongly linked with a transfer to Italian Serie A side Lecce Afrik-foot reports.

Recall that the 27-year-old winger spent last season on loan at German Bundesliga club Hamburg, but the deal did not go as both parties would have wished. Otele featured in nine games, with one goal and one assist to his name. He would eventually return to his Basel owners at the end of last season, and he has been participating in their pre-season games so far.

Now, Lecce are interested in acquiring his services, albeit they have failed to reach an agreement with Basel on the terms for the transfer to happen.

In this article, we explain why this deal makes sense, and why the Super Eagles star might be the key to one of the problems.

Why Philip Otele Can Be The Solution To Lecce’s Weakness

Lecce are not signing Philip Otele simply to add another winger to their ranks. In fact, the major reason they want to bring in the Nigerian is due to their lack of attacking firepower.

Since they got promoted to the Serie A in 2022, it has been from one relegation battle to the next. In the Serie A which has 20 teams, they have finished 16th, 14th, 17th, and 17th. These finished have been caused by the lack of pace, creativity and goals.

In fact, over the last four seasons, they have consistently been one of the low-scoring sides in the Italian top-flight. In fact, two seasons ago, they were the lowest-scoring side in the Serie A. Their major problem has been turning promising attacks into goals.

The club have usually found themselves relying on moments of individual brilliance rather than sustained attacking quality. Their wide players like Banda Lameck, Nikola Stulic, and Santiago Pierotti, have struggled to provide consistent end product, while creativity in the final third has often been in short supply.

So the fact that the club has looked at adding quality on the the flanks is not much of a surprise.

Otele’s biggest weapon is his ability to be explosive on the wings. Unlike other wingers of nowadays who prefer build-up play, the Nigerian is at his best when driving directly at defenders. In fact, he is a double threat, as he can play on the left or right.

The Nigerian winger has good acceleration, and allows him to beat opponents in transition. He is also good at attacking space. This is good for Lecce, as they will hahve someone who can take the initiative.

Otele also has a good eye for goal, as in the course of his career, he has averaged a goal involvement in every three games.

The major problem for him most times is the decision-making which can be improved under a good coach. If he can work on that, he will be a lethal asset for Lecce next season.

Otele is not the biggest name in football that would excite Lecce fans. But he is strong, a willing runner, quick, and is entering his peak years. So the deal could turn out to be a success in the end.