Southampton in ‘pretty strong position’ over deal for £15m star at St Mary’s

Southampton are in a ‘pretty strong position’ in regard to their in-demand forward ace Nathan Tella, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT.

The youngster’s season-long stint at Burnley went swimmingly, but the Clarets are unwilling to pay Southampton’s asking price.

Southampton news – Nathan Tella

The former Arsenal trainee was an integral part of Vincent Kompany’s league-winning Burnley outfit and the Belgium coach has now explored the idea of signing him on a permanent transfer.

And for good reason, too. The star finished top of Turf Moor’s goalscoring charts and steered his side, albeit on loan, to a glittering promotion party.

However, The Sun have reported that £15m is likely to be too much of a push for Premier League new-boys Burnley to commit to.

When quizzed about his future, the 23-year-old Englishman remained fairly coy as he told BBC Radio Lancashire (via The Daily Echo) : “I haven’t really thought about it, I know I’m contracted to Southampton so I’m looking forward to going back there and doing pre-season.”

Southampton remain keen on retaining their returning star as they view him as a potential outlet for the forthcoming season. Though, saying that, this could be the last summer where they can get a pretty penny for the player if no contract extension is signed upon its expiry.

What has Dean Jones said about Southampton and Nathan Tella?

Jones claimed that the ball is in Southampton’s court and that the valuation they have set is a fair price.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “He’s only 23, and he’s got two years left in his contract. I’d say, given the level he’s been playing at, it sounds about right. Saints know they’re in a pretty strong position here that they could do with him in the Championship themselves.

“So if Burnley really want him, then they’ll cave in, and they’ll spend what it takes to actually get him. As a team in the Premier League, you can’t really complain about paying £15m for a striker that you really want.”

While on loan at Burnley, Tella started 31 games in England’s second tier and scored 17 times and provided a further five assists, according to FBref.

The Lambeth-born forward asset signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with the south coast side in 2022, which expires in 2025.

To excel in his playing career, Tella will need to be playing at the highest level possible and Southampton, unfortunately, can’t offer that experience as things stand.

Premier League returnees Burnley could, however, offer him the chance to set the Premier League alight by making a permanent switch to up north.

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Alternatively, the recently relegated Southampton could do with a player of his goal-scoring nature to contribute to the forward line as they look to bounce back to the top-flight on the first time of asking.