Nathan Tella

[CoolClaret]

Just like to give congratulations to Nathan Tella for winning the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen in his first season in Germany.

One of my favourite players to don the famous Claret and Blue - he was simply fabulous for us last season.

All the best Nathan.

[Vegas Claret]

3 defeats (so far) in 2 seasons of football. Nuts

[Woodleyclaret]

Well done not signing Nathan was our major error especially with no decent replacement lined up

[evensteadiereddie]

I'm not sure it was as simple as that but, hey ho, well done that man.

[Rowls]

Well done Nathan Tella!

Unbelievable two years for the young lad.

[PremierLeagueClass]

Well done not signing Nathan was our major error especially with no decent replacement lined up

By all accounts we did all we could to get him. Hardly a major error.

[mikeS]

One of the most exciting players to pull on a claret and blue jersey.
It was a delight to watch him play for the Clarets.
Played with a chuckle in his boots.
Well done Nathan.

[CoolClaret]

By all accounts we did all we could to get him. Hardly a major error.

Not by all accounts at all.

[Pickles]

He could win the lot this season too. Bundesliga wrapped up. Cup final against second tier Kaiserslautern coming up and two nil to the good against West Ham in the quarters of the Europa League.

[CrosspoolClarets]

3 defeats (so far) in 2 seasons of football. Nuts

And of those, one was his debut away at Watford where he came off the bench, and one was City away in the cup. The only defeat other than that was Sheffield United away.

Played over 4200 minutes across 2 seasons other than those, without losing. That is about the equivalent of 45 full games.

I’d also like to offer my warm congratulations, and my thanks.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

Great news for a fantastic player and character. One of the biggest mistakes of the summer not signing him permanently.

[Jellybean]

He is one of my favourite players ever, he was so infectious with his smile and positivity. Just loved him. I guess it helped that we won pretty much all the time.

Still sad that we didn't find a way to sign him, what a difference he'd have made this season, but it wasn't meant to be and now he's on to bigger things. Although the interviews I've read and seeing him not quite as smiley in the matches I'm not convinced he's fully settled so you never know we might somehow get him back eventually. Though I think Barnes was a big reason for the happy vibe here last season.

Really hoping he can get that treble in the bag.

[warksclaret]

Could have made the difference in us staying up this season sadly

[Stayingup]

Well done not signing Nathan was our major error especially with no decent replacement lined up

Absolutely. They player we got in to replace him is - so far - not the same class at all

[dougcollins]

By all accounts we did all we could to get him. Hardly a major error.

We didn't do that though, did we? We ended up spending more on inferior replacements.

[Cooclaret]

Not by all accounts at all.

This should be good, let’s hear you back up your thoughts…

[Fretters]

Absolutely. They player we got in to replace him is - so far - not the same class at all

Who?

I loved him but, remember, Tella did nothing in the Premier League at Southampton. I think Amdouni etc. would look far better in the Championship.

[Silkyskills1]

'Amdouni etc.' are and never will be anywhere near to the contribution from Nathan Tella last season. He was the catalyst that lit up matchday and made it a pleasure to watch us play.

[Vegas Claret]

Tella's closing down set the tempo for us last season - I do get whey we didn't give Saints 20 million for him though

[TsarBomba]

Could have made the difference in us staying up this season sadly

His energy and pressing from the front, not to mention his goals, is everything we have missed.

If there was indeed any possibility of getting Tella, then the decision not to has proven to be catastrophic.

[ClaretJimmy]

Massive mistake not signing him or Taylor Harwood Belis. Congratulations on winning the league again Nathan! Class act

[helmclaret]

He must feel on top of the world right now. What a couple of seasons he’s had and the development both on and off the pitch will be incredible.

Such a joy to watch and I wish him all the best.

[NewClaret]

Tella's closing down set the tempo for us last season - I do get whey we didn't give Saints 20 million for him though

Me too.

Firstly though, well done to him. Delighted for him that he’s bagged another title and will be forever grateful for what he did for us.

Now to your point, I’m struggling when I read these threads (which should really just be about congratulating a great player for us), why we have to turn it in to a discussion about how BFC have made an error.

As good as he was for us, £20m was a massive fee for someone who wasn’t a consistent scorer in the championship and only started a fifth of games in the Bundesliga. I wouldn’t have paid that if I were in the clubs position because it’s hard to imagine turning a profit from there.

I also think if he really wanted to be here he could’ve done more to force a move. He was non-committal about joining us even before he left - he never once said he wanted to join or that it was his preference. He chose Leverkusen just like Maatsen chose Chelsea/Dortmund.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

Who?

I loved him but, remember, Tella did nothing in the Premier League at Southampton. I think Amdouni etc. would look far better in the Championship.

Maatsen did nothing in the premier league as well. He’s now playing in the Champions League quarter finals.

[CoolClaret]

This should be good, let’s hear you back up your thoughts…

Matt Williams on BBC Radio Lancs after the January Window was saying that Tella wanted to sign for Burnley - we just didn't meet Southampton's (admittedly inflated) valuation early on in the window and then Leverkusen came in for him.

Worked out well for Tella - not so well for us.

[CoolClaret]

Now to your point, I’m struggling when I read these threads (which should really just be about congratulating a great player for us), why we have to turn it in to a discussion about how BFC have made an error.

Agree - I didn't want to do that either.

[RammyClaret61]

Just this……..

IMG_5007.jpeg (77.15 KiB) Viewed 2696 times

[KRBFC]

Matt Williams on BBC Radio Lancs after the January Window was saying that Tella wanted to sign for Burnley - we just didn't meet Southampton's (admittedly inflated) valuation early on in the window and then Leverkusen came in for him.

Worked out well for Tella - not so well for us.

And if we matched the inflated fee, Leverkusen would’ve pushed the go button and also matched it.

[Carlos the Great]

By all accounts we did all we could to get him. Hardly a major error.

Offering 9 million was not a serious offer

[Jakubclaret]

And if we matched the inflated fee, Leverkusen would’ve pushed the go button and also matched it.

The deal would have already been wrapped up well before leverkusen becoming aware of his availability. For a club that supposedly got the money & intent to sign these players I'm also including maatsen in this statement we don't half go about things the wrong way. The money & real intent was never there on both accounts irrespective of player ambitions.

[dougcollins]

The deal would have already been wrapped up well before leverkusen becoming aware of his availability. For a club that supposedly got the money & intent to sign these players I'm also including maatsen in this statement we don't half go about things the wrong way. The money & real intent was never there on both accounts irrespective of player ambitions.

Yet in real terms we ended up paying more, and getting less.

The data worshippers continually harp on about the likes of Amdouni but seem incapable of processing the evidence from their own eyes.

[jedi_master]

Great player, vital to promotion and most of us said it was the first of the very many mistakes we made last summer in not signing him. Bayer Leverkusen are a massive club but I’m pretty certain the second we’d agreed a fee with Southampton, Tella would have jumped at coming back to us to play in the Premier League.

I am delighted for him, he seemed such a nice lad and it’s nice to think we played a vital role (and we did) in his development which has taken him to these heights.

[Jakubclaret]

Yet in real terms we ended up paying more, and getting less.

The data worshippers continually harp on about the likes of Amdouni but seem incapable of processing the evidence from their own eyes.

Any club can get a bid accepted if you offer enough but actually getting the player to accept personal terms is another thing. You can make it look like you are interested safe in the knowledge that you know the deal will never happen because the derisory part will never get taken up. It means nothing it's no intent to do business.

[bumba]

Tella
Harwood-Bellis = £40 million

Trafford
Ramsey
O'Shea = £42 million


Let that sink in

[Jellybean]

I think if the terms were right Tella would have signed for us, must have been so nice to have been in that team and had the fan adulation after not doing too well at Southampton.

Good point that he didn't do well previously in the premier league, but at least he was already used to English football, didn't get injured much, knew the intensity and what kompany wanted from the team and had oodles energy to attempt to win the ball back.

I can't see this from many of the new signings who clearly needed time we didn't have to get used to playing in this country and also adapt to the pace of premier league. I feel Tella would have made such a big impact but we'll never know for sure.

[MT03ALG]

Well done Nathan in Leverkusen.
Played 598 minutes
5 goals
17 shots
Made 2 goals
Ran 79,18 km
Made 266 sprints
Top speed 34/1 km/hour
405 ball contacts
239 passes
21 crosses
20 dribbles
75 challenges

[ŽižkovClaret]

Tella
Harwood-Bellis = £40 million

Trafford
Ramsey
O'Shea = £42 million


Let that sink in

That may be over simplifying things, but jeez that makes uncomfortable reading

[Poulton-le-Claret]

If he ever was close to joining us he must now be thinking he dodged a bullet this season.

[Steve1956]

Congrats to NT bet he's glad he never came to the Turf this season,that's some achievement beating Bayern to the title.

[kentonclaret]

Tella
Harwood-Bellis = £40 million

Trafford
Ramsey
O'Shea = £42 million


Let that sink in

Would have been far wiser to have spent £20m+ on bringing in Gyokeres - 22 goals and 10 assists for Sporting Lisbon this season and now a transfer target for top 4 clubs in the PL.

[Swizzlestick]

Didn’t Gyokeres turn down West Ham? Moyes watched him repeatedly. I get the annoyance over missing out on transfers but there has to be an element of realism.

[Papabendi]

It didn't seem to me Tella was ever desperate to come back.

It's been a good move for him, but let's not kid ourselves - he's currently a bit part player for BL.

[kentonclaret]

Didn’t Gyokeres turn down West Ham? Moyes watched him repeatedly. I get the annoyance over missing out on transfers but there has to be an element of realism.

There may well be an element of realism come the end of May. Tens of millions of ££££’s squandered and the only tangible thing that we got for it may well be a wooden spoon.

[CrosspoolClarets]

I suspect Tella would have signed for us early, he would have thought that was a big move. However the bigger names like Gyokeres, Lukebakio, Dier, Milner, Bakayoko - even if we had gone in big on July 1st with huge wages they would have hung on to see what else developed and we would have (and did) lose out.

Really we need to recognise how hard that window was. Not saying we got it right. But it was hard.

But Tella has done great, back to the point. Champions League for him next season.

[Cirrus_Minor]

I think Tella made the difference last season in terns of winning the championship and maybe promotion. Very talented player and a mystery why Southampton seemed reluctant to use/keep him. The players bought to replace him for this season have been nowhere near as good.

[FCBurnley]

Wonder what Tella is worth now !!

[Stayingup]

Who?

I loved him but, remember, Tella did nothing in the Premier League at Southampton. I think Amdouni etc. would look far better in the Championship.

Fofana. Tella was much better Championship or Premier League doesn't matter. Tella is better - from what I have seen so far

[Stayingup]

Whatever its in the past and Tella certainly made the right move. Loved watching him and ALL our forward line last season.

[Carlos the Great]

It was suggested that 15 million would have probably bought Tella early on :: but by offering 9 million and dithering it backfired massively ::; where we then made of a collection of poor expensive signings in Tresor /. Ramsey /. Trafford /.who we didn’t have the benefit of knowing much about them before splashing the cash

[Vegas Claret]

the success of Maatsen and Tella is brilliant news for us imho. We know next season we can have 5 loans, Chelsea and City will be be more than happy to send their best young lads to us imho