When Nathan Tella’s loan spell with Burnley ended in May 2023, he could never have predicted what would happen next. Having scored 17 times to help Vincent Kompany’s side seal the Championship title with more than 100 points, the forward was expecting to return to his parent club, Southampton, who had just been relegated, or rejoin Burnley in the Premier League.
“Well, definitely not abroad, that was the main thing,” says Tella when asked where he saw himself ending up last summer. “But Bayer Leverkusen came in, near the end of the window. I remember saying to my dad when it came about: ‘Do you think I should do this?’ Then he was like: ‘I think this is probably the next perfect big step for you in your career.’ I have a very good relationship with my dad. I mean, he’s almost like a second agent for me.”
