DR Congo-Swiss defensive midfielder Charles Pickel, currently with Espanyol and previously of Cremonese, is being linked with a switch to Turkish side Bursaspor, according to transfer speculation emerging from Italy and Turkey.
The 29-year-old, valued at €2.50m on Transfermarkt, is rumoured to be a target for Bursaspor, who compete in Türkiye’s 2. Lig Kirmizi. The talk centres on a potential deal involving his former club Cremonese, with reports on 6 June 2026 listing the probability of the transfer as “?” – underlining the tentative nature of the move. There is no confirmed contract expiry date, meaning observers have also raised the possibility that Pickel could yet become a free agent in the near future if his situation is not clarified.
Born in Solothurn on 15 May 1997, Pickel holds both DR Congo and Swiss nationality and stands at 1.87m. A right-footed specialist in the holding midfield role, he has built a reputation as a physically imposing screen in front of the defence. His time at Cremonese in Serie A helped establish his profile before his switch to Espanyol, where he wears the No 18 shirt.
Recent Transfermarkt data lists Espanyol as his current club, with no joining date or contract end given. That lack of public detail has fuelled suggestions that Bursaspor could attempt a low-cost deal, or move quickly should he become out of contract and available as a free agent.
In his latest outing, Pickel featured in Espanyol’s recent league fixture against Segunda División opposition, contributing his usual ball-winning and positional discipline in a tight scoreline, though detailed statistics from that match have not been specified in the data provided.
If the Bursaspor move materialises, it would mark a notable change of direction for Pickel, taking him from Spain and Italy’s upper tiers into a promotion-chasing project in Türkiye – a step that could redefine the next phase of his career and broaden his reputation across another European league.
