Nathan Tella latest news: Bid rejected, Southampton valuation, Burnley update
Updates involving Bayer Leverkusen and Burnley have emerged on the Southampton star in recent days.
Southampton’s supporters will have been expecting a lot from Nathan Tella coming into this season.
With the 24-year-old registering 17 goals and five assists in 39 Championship appearances for his former loan club Burnley last term, he was a crucial figure in guiding the Clarets back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
The Saints will be hoping he can make a similar impact at St Mary’s throughout the 2023/24 campaign and he has already made his presence known by scoring against Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth Argyle.
His goals have allowed the South Coast side to take an extra four points from their games, with the Saints earning seven points from a possible nine in their opening three league matches this term.
That is a real positive for Russell Martin and he will surely be keen to keep hold of the player beyond the end of the summer transfer window because he can be a game-changer at this level.
With interest in his signature though, there’s a chance Tella will depart his current side before the window shuts.
We take a look at the latest news involving the Saints winger below.
Bayer Leverkusen have bid rejected for Nathan Tella
The German outfit have had a £15m bid for Tella rejected, according to a report from talkSPORT.
Leverkusen have sold Moussa Diaby for more than £50m to Aston Villa and with this in mind, they may have the money required to get a deal over the line for the Englishman.
However, it must be remembered that the Bundesliga side have spent a decent amount this summer, with Arthur, Jonas Hofmann, former Arsenal man Granit Xhaka, Victor Boniface, and ex-Manchester United shot-stopper Matej Kovar coming in.
They did make money from Mitchel Bakker’s sale though, which could give them the extra funds needed to secure a deal with the Saints.
How much are Southampton demanding for Nathan Tella?
The player still has two years left on his deal at St Mary’s and Martin’s side have already made nine figures from sales this summer.
Mislav Orsic, Ibrahima Diallo, Mohammed Salisu, Tino Livramento, James Ward-Prowse, and Romeo Lavia all departed for fees and although they spent a sizeable amount on Shea Charles, Martin should have a very decent amount to spend.
It may also give him the license to hold on to some of their current key players including Tella.
According to the Daily Mail, the Saints currently value him at £25m but believe a deal could be done closer to £20m. That’s disappointing news for those Saints supporters that want him to stay.
Are Burnley still in the race for Nathan Tella?
It came as no surprise when the Clarets were linked with Tella again this summer following his impressive loan spell at Turf Moor.
But they are now out of the race, according to Football Insider, who believe Vincent Kompany’s side have been priced out of a move for the 23-year-old.
That’s a blow for the Lancashire side considering his ability, potential, and his versatility, but they haven’t exactly been inactive in the transfer market and have brought in some top-quality attacking players to help their cause.
Tella might be gutted that he hasn’t been able to seal a return to his former loan side. However, he has experienced real success with the Saints so far this season and will be fully focused on the South Coast club
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How West Ham taster gave Burnley’s new signing an appetite for the Premier League
The defender featured for Anderlecht against David Moyes’ side home and away during the group stage of the Europa Conference League last season, a tournament the Irons would later go on to win.
The 24-year-old, who has made the move to Turf Moor for an undisclosed fee, signing a three-year contract, admits it was an opportunity he simply had to grasp.
“When we were in the Conference League we knew what teams we were going to play [in the group stage] and I really wanted to play West Ham,” he told Clarets+.
“Of course you want to play every game but this was something I really wanted to do and from there on you know it’s a different category.
“You see the stadium, you see the quality of the players, this is something where I thought if I could ever play in the Premier League it would be like a dream come true.
“It’s really different than in Belgium.”
The centre-back enjoyed a loan spell with Dutch outfit RKC Waalwijk during the 2019/20 campaign, where he made 23 appearances.
Delcroix would later go on to feature for Vincent Kompany at Anderlecht, a spell that he still looks back on with pride and was hugely influential on his decision to join the Clarets.
“When I was there it was very nice to have him as a coach because of course he was a defender before, so I learned a lot from him,” he said.
“For me coming here now, it’s a big opportunity and I can still progress under him. It’s a good choice to come here.
“It’s a different competition, it’s the Premier League and everybody knows it. It’s the best competition in the world at the moment.
“For me, it’s a big opportunity to come here. It’s a great team and it was not difficult for me to come here once I got this option.”
