Southampton’s Nathan Tella was arguably the star of Burnley’s 2022/23 season.
He scored 17 goals and assisted five more in 39 league outings for the Clarets who went on to win the Championship title, with Tella ending the season as their highest scorer.
It’s long been reported that Burnley want to sign Tella on a permanent basis ahead of their return to the Premier League. But Southampton’s relegation from the top flight has seemingly put a spanner in the works.
The summer transfer window officially opens in a week’s time. Burnley have been linked with a number of potential new signings, with many of them being attacking signings which could suggest that Tella is just one of several options for Vincent Kompany’s side this summer.
Last month, Tella spoke out on what the summer ahead might hold for him, saying (via 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.
“I’m looking forward to seeing my family and friends and going on holiday with them, that’s it. It’s a very good question but one I don’t have the answer to right now.”
Then at the start of this month, Saints director of football Rasmus Ankersen revealed that there’ll be player turnover at St Mary’s this summer, but also that there’s certain players who the club will look to keep hold of.
Tella, given his recent and impressive showing in the Championship could be integral to Southampton’s 2023/24 plans, which is a view shared by talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, but there’s one big obstacle standing in the way of whatever the summer holds for Tella – Southampton’s ongoing appointment of Russell Martin.
Compensation issues stand in the way of Southampton appointing the Swansea City boss. Wales Online say that the appointment is still expected to go through but that the saga could ‘drag on until at least the end of the week’ – after the summer transfer window officially opens.
And it seems like Burnley might be taking advantage of the uncertainty at Southampton. The Athletic reported earlier this week that Burnley have in fact held initial talks with Southampton regarding a deal for Tella, with those talks expected to heat up when the transfer window opens next week.
So Tella’s future remains up in the air. Burnley seem determined to get their man and the longer that Southampton’s appointment of Martin drags on, the longer – it seems, anyway – that their summer transfer plans will take a backseat.
And that uncertainty could open the door for Burnley to swoop in early and poach Tella from the Saints, who’ll be eager to recoup some money this summer as they gear up for the 2023/24 campaign.
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EVERTON AND BURNLEY GET TRANSFER BOOST AS CONTRACT TALKS STALL FOR £15M TARGET
Contract talks between Jack Clarke and Sunderland have stalled with Premier League trio Crystal Palace, Burnley and Everton keen on the £15 million-rated winger.
Sunderland, Championship play-off semi-finalists last term, have already lost one half of their wonderful wing duo; Amad Diallo returning to Manchester United following a supreme loan spell on the banks of the Wear.
And if the Black Cats harbour any hopes of going one step further in 2023/24, losing Jack Clarke too would be a massive spanner in the works.
According to TEAMtalk, Crystal Palace, Brentford and newly-promoted Burnley are all on red alert as talks over a new deal for Clarke hit the buffers.
Everton are also interested, per i News.
Is former Tottenham misfit Jack Clarke returning to the Premier League?
The good news, as far as Sunderland are concerned, is that the former Leeds United wonderkid is still under contract until 2026. And, after failing to make a single Premier League appearance during forgottable three years at Tottenham Hotspur, Clarke knows from experience that the grass is not always greener elsewhere.
“He’s played in the majority of games and now it’s about building on that,” Clarke’s agent, one-time Leeds defender Ian Harte, tells i News after his client scored 11 goals and set up 13 more during a superb season under Mowbray.
“He loves it. It’s a great group of lads. It’s a good time to be at Sunderland and I think all the Sunderland fans are in the best spirits they’ve been in a long time.
“Jack loves it at Sunderland and he’s got three years (of his contract) left. Of course, I can’t control what other clubs are going to do. If other clubs contact Sunderland, that’s unfortunately out of my control.”
Clarke, just 22 years of age, came to epitomise the unexpected success of a Sunderland side boasting the youngest average XI in the Championship last term. Jobe Bellingham (17), Luis Semedo (19) and Nectarios Triantis (20) could potentially join him at the Stadium of Light from Birmingham City, Benfica and Central Coast Mariners respectively.
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