How is Nathan Tella doing since joining Bayer Leverkusen from Southampton?
Tella’s progress since leaving St Mary’s during the summer transfer window is examined.
Nathan Tella had a fantastic loan season at Burnley in 2022/23.
His playing time at Southampton would be restricted, so he teamed up with Vincent Kompany ahead of their first season back in the Championship.
Given the quality of their roster, there was a lot of pressure on them to return to the Premier League at the first attempt, which may have caused them to implode and fall short of expectations.
However, they went on to win the title, establishing themselves as the finest team in the second tier by a by shot last season and coping even while Jay Rodriguez was sidelined.
Nathan Tella, who was a reliable goalscorer for the Clarets throughout his time at Turf Moor, was a big reason for their success, scoring 19 goals in all competitions for the Lancashire club, with 17 of those coming in the league.
He did more than enough with this record to put himself in the shop display ahead of the recent summer transfer window.
How did Nathan Tella get off to a good start at Southampton?
With two years remaining on Tella’s contract at St Mary’s and the club cashing in on the likes of Tino Livramento, James Ward-Prowse, and Romeo Lavia, you felt the Saints had a genuine opportunity to keep the former Burnley loanee.
And he had a strong start to the 2023/24 season with the south-coast club, transferring his form from Turf Moor to the south coast.
On the first night of the season, his shot deflected off Adam Armstrong and into the back of Sheffield Wednesday’s net, giving the Saints the lead at Hillsborough.
He then scored against Plymouth Argyle, making an impression in his first three games before signing a £20 million deal with the club.
What has Nathan Tella been up to since leaving Southampton?
Tella’s present side required additional quality in the final third following the loss of Moussa Diaby to Aston Villa – and Tella might be the guy to make a significant difference for the Bundesliga outfit.
Even without Diaby, Leverkusen have made a fantastic start to the season, sitting second in the table behind Bayern Munich following four victories and one draw in their first five league matches of the season, as well as progressing to the DFB-Pokal second round.
Unfortunately for Tella, he has yet to score or provide an assist in any of his three appearances.
He started against BK Hacken in the Europa League after coming off the bench in both of his league matches.
He’ll be frustrated, as will the fact that he didn’t come off the bench against Bayern Munich, remaining an unused substitute.
It’s hardly surprising that he hasn’t made an early impression because he’ll need time to adjust to a new nation and language.
However, with Tella potentially having an opportunity to shine against Mainz on Saturday, it may only be a matter of time before he finds himself on the scoresheet.
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